


Pirate Photography

by danbuter



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Photography, Victoria's POV, chasefield
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:14:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 37,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27141608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danbuter/pseuds/danbuter
Summary: Victoria is a successful photographer. She stops at a camera store and finds Max. Set six years after the game.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Victoria Chase
Comments: 248
Kudos: 248





	1. A Chance Meeting

Victoria was frustrated. What were the odds that she’d break the lens she needed for her current project? She was in Portland for only a few days, and the day she arrives, she drops the most important piece of equipment she had with her. She felt like a klutz. She could just imagine what her mother would say if she knew.

Anyways, she was in Portland for a shoot at an abandoned factory. It had taken a few phone calls to the local government offices, but she’d gotten permission to be at the site for this week. It had been frustrating that the locals didn’t even recognize her name. She was halfway famous already, and not one of them had a clue. She expected better from an area famed for its art scene.

Victoria had planned on scouting the building today and finding some good areas for pictures. Instead, she had wasted hours trying to find a good photography store. After some online research, she found a place called “Pirate Photography”, of all things. So she drove out to here, south of the city, and finally found the shop.

It was in a strip mall, of course. If the reviews didn’t mention that this store carried just about anything she could want, she’d have never even given it a second glance. She parked her BMW in the middle of the lot, away from other cars. No need for some imbecile to dent her new car. Then she walked up to the store, which was tucked in between a coffee shop and an office supplies store.

As she approached, she could see a number of mid-grade cameras in the main window. Her lip curled a bit. This wasn’t promising. She pushed the door open and entered, a bell ringing by her head as she did so. Glancing at it, she saw an actual bell, not some electronic gadget. She was not impressed. It was a typical Portland decoration.

The interior had tile floors, bright lighting, and rows of shoulder-height shelving, running from front to back. As she walked through the aisles, her pace slowed. There were all kinds of lenses and cameras from all the major brands. Looking further, she saw a Leica sign near the back. She made a beeline towards it, her eyes getting wider and she saw several of the newest cameras, a bunch of lenses, and even a few older film bodies. _Jackpot_!

She knew she could easily spend hours here, just looking at merchandise. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time to waste. She picked up a Leica 50mm lens, when she heard steps behind her.

A woman’s voice said, “Welcome to Pirate Photography! How can I...”. Then silence.

Victoria turned around, recognizing the voice. Her jaw dropped. She ended up staring at the one person she had never expected to see again.

“Max Caulfield... umm.... hello.” _Not too suave, girl_.

The little hipster was looking at her, open-mouthed as well. She looked almost exactly the same as she did at Blackwell. She was wearing a hoodie, T-shirt, and jeans. At least she had on better sneakers. _No ring._

Max said, “Victoria. Hi. I’m kind of surprised to see you here. Shouldn’t you be in LA or New York?”

Victoria scowled, “I’m doing a shoot in Portland, if you care. I was wondering what happened to you. You just disappeared after that whole mess.”

Victoria hated remembering the Week From Hell. Nathan murdered Max’s friend. Jefferson was some kind of sick pervert who took pictures of kidnapped girls and sold them to rich people. Both were in jail. Jefferson was also tied to several murders in Seattle a few years earlier. Sean Prescott and a few other very rich men got some bad publicity, but used their money to stay out of jail. Sean even ended up selling his properties in Arcadia Bay and moved somewhere on the other side of the country.

Worst of all, Max disappeared about two weeks after the murder. One morning, she was just gone, back to her parents. The only person who knew anything was Kate, and she wasn’t exactly friendly with Victoria.

Victoria had apologized to Kate, and tried to make it up to her through the rest of the year, but the damage was done. Victoria still blamed herself for that. How the hell could she have been so mean to everyone? She stopped being the queen bitch that week, after crying in front of Kate.

The Vortex Club was disbanded, Wells was fired, and Victoria’s parents came to the school. She got into some serious trouble with them, when they found out about her drug habits. That ended up being a good thing, in the long term, though. She didn’t even smoke anymore.

All of this flashed through her mind as Max awkwardly held her arm in front of her, gripping her elbow. Some things never changed. Max replied, “Actually, I do care. I’ve watched how well you’ve been doing. You’re becoming famous and it’s only been six years. I’m proud of you.”

Victoria grunted. That certainly wasn’t what she expected to hear. “Thanks, I guess. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s starting to pay off.”

She waved her hand to the shelves. “I see you are still working in photography, at least a bit. It’s a pretty nice store, though I have to wonder about the location.”

Max smirked. “The rent isn’t too bad, and I’ve built up a good clientele of local photographers. I even run classes for people just learning their cameras. I like it.”

Victoria nodded. She could see the appeal. She said, “I hope you still actually go out on shoots. You were really good. Not as good as me, of course, but still talented.”

Max rolled her eyes, replying, “Nice to see you still have your attitude. I don’t really take a lot of pictures anymore. It feels weird after Blackwell.”

“How so?”

Max looked down, saying, “Jefferson kind of ruined it for me.”

Victoria stopped. She knew that only a few identities of his victims had been released by the police. Had he gotten to Max somehow?

Max looked up, a strained smile on her face. “So, you want that Leica lens? It’s a nice one!”


	2. Apology

Victoria nodded, “Yes, Leica’s my favorite brand. Expensive, but worth it.”

  
Max raised an eyebrow, “So, you really like a fancy camera, eh?”

  
Victoria paused, “Did you seriously just make a pun about cameras?”

  
Max grinned, a twinkle in her eye. “Would I do something like that?”

  
“And you wonder why I called you Lamefield.”

  
“You were just jealous. I didn’t realize it then, but it’s ok.”

  
Victoria froze for just a second. Then she glanced down, feeling ashamed, and said, “I am sorry about how I treated you back then. You didn’t deserve it.”

  
“We were kids. You were trying to live up to the family name. I get it. Anyways, apology accepted.”

  
Victoria didn’t really know what to say, but she knew she’d been a horrible bitch to Max and so many others back then. Her actions still bothered her late at night, when she was lying in bed, trying to sleep.

  
Victoria smiled, grateful. She replied, “I admit I was a bit jealous of you, back then. I just wish I could go back in time and kick myself in the ass when I first started thinking I was the Queen Bee.”

  
Max got an odd look on her face, and replied, “I’m not sure that would have helped. Sometimes we just have to learn things the hard way. I’m glad you’ve changed, though. Kate told me you were a much nicer person, and I honestly didn’t believe her. I guess I was wrong.”

  
“You’re still in contact with Kate?”

  
“Yeah. I made her promise not to tell anyone I was still talking to her. I knew me leaving would cause a scene, considering everything that happened. She let me know that you apologized to her, and how you helped her out the rest of the year.”

  
Victoria’s face reddened a bit. “What I did to her was horrible. I saw the letters her mother and aunt wrote her. I thought my parents were tough, but those two women are just evil.”

  
Max nodded in agreement. “At least Kate got away from them. Her children’s books are doing well. I’m really happy for her.”

  
Victoria nodded in agreement. “Who knew the adventures of a little bunny rabbit would be so popular? It’s hard to believe she’s one of the most successful people from our school.”

  
“Barring you, of course.”

  
Victoria grinned, ignoring the sarcasm.

  
“Naturally.”

  
She then looked at her watch. “Well, I actually do have to get out to that site and scout around. How about I pay for this lens?”

  
Max nodded and ran the transaction for her. She then took a card from the desk and wrote on the back of it, and handed it to Victoria. “Here’s my business card. I put my cell on the back, if you ever want to call me. It was actually nice seeing you.”

  
Victoria looked at the card, which featured two pirate girls. She raised an eyebrow at Max, who said, “That’s me and Chloe when we were kids. We always pretended to be the pirates of Arcadia Bay.”

  
“She really meant a lot to you, didn’t she?”

  
“Yeah. I miss her.”

  
“Umm. Well. I’m in town all week. I’ll try and contact you to see if we can get together some time.”

  
“I’d like that. Have a good day, Victoria.”

  
“You, too, Max.”

  
Victoria headed out to her car. She looked back and Max waved to her. She smiled back as she got in and started up.

  
_I can’t believe we talked, and I have her number. What a fucked up day. Did Jefferson actually hurt her, or was I reading too much into it? Should I call her? Is she just being nice? She still misses Chloe. She must hate me. I don’t fucking know._

  
She drove back to Portland, and spent the afternoon getting some practice shots and planning some set-ups.


	3. Video Chat

That night, Victoria logged into video chat with Taylor and Courtney. Taylor looked tired, and Victoria could hear a little boy running around yelling in background. She grinned as Taylor yelled, “Adam! You are supposed to be in bed. Don’t make me come get you!”

A quick reply of “Sorry, Mom!” and the noise stopped. Victoria and Courtney both laughed at that, while Taylor closed her eyes and held her forehead.

“I see that mom life is going well.”

“Ha. Ha. He drives me crazy, but I love him. I wish Mike was home. He’s on another business trip, out to Dallas. He won’t be home for three more days.”

Taylor had married Mike a couple years after high school. They’d moved to Houston for his job. She’d gotten pretty lucky, as he was an engineer and already doing very well for himself. Unfortunately, he also worked a lot. Taylor put on a good front, but Victoria could tell that it bothered her.

“Hey. He’s putting away money for Adam’s education, not to mention that really nice home you live in. I’m sure in a few years he’ll get stuck at a desk and then you’ll wish he was on the road.”

Taylor smiled, nodding. Courtney nodded, too.

“Court, how’s Saks? Still getting lots of crazy bitches shopping there?”

Courtney nodded, replying, “Yep. It’s amazing how many of them know nothing about clothes, yet they act like I’m clueless when I give suggestions. Half of them have knock-off purses, and don’t even realize it.”

Victoria and Taylor laughed. It was so true.

“Any luck with your store? I love the burgundy skirt with the hidden pockets. I’ve told a bunch of people about it.”

Courtney shrugged, “Not really. I’ve sold a few things here and there, but it’s tough. There are so many other people out there with big names already, not many people look for my brand.”

Courtney lived in LA, and spent her off time making clothes and selling them from a website she built. She’d named it Vortex Fashion, which Victoria privately cringed over. Not that she’d ever tell Courtney that. Victoria really liked a fair amount of the clothes, but fashion is a cut-throat industry. She wore a few of Courtney’s outfits when she was at shoots and events, trying to help get the word out.

“Don’t worry. You’re smart and really talented. Sooner or later, your stuff will take off.”

Courtney smiled, “I hope it’s soon. You can’t believe how much working retail sucks, even at a high end place. At least the commissions are really good.”

Victoria and Taylor nodded. They’d consoled Courtney more than once when she’d had a really bad day at work.

Victoria tried changing the subject. “So, are you and Jack still an item?”

Courtney rolled her eyes. “Hell, no. He turned into a total jerk after we had sex a few times. He acted more like my boss than a boyfriend. He’s gone. You were right, Taylor.”

 _Damn it._ She hit a landmine.

Victoria and Taylor both nodded. They knew it might happen, but still felt bad about it. Courtney had been head over heels for the guy a few months back. She thought he would be the one. Taylor had experience with guys like Jack before, and she tried to warn her, but it didn’t help. Victoria just kind of listened and offered support, but stayed out of offering any advice. Not like she had any real experience in that department.

They spent a few minutes bitching about Jack the Jackass, as Taylor immediately dubbed him, which caused Courtney to laugh even as she looked like she was ready to cry.

Taylor then asked, “Victoria. Any fine ladies in your life? You certainly meet enough models.”

Victoria looked down, suddenly a bit nervous. Both Taylor and Courtney started talking. “Who is it? You have a new girl?”

“Well, not really. But I did run into someone we all know, that I haven’t seen in years. I don’t even know how I should feel about her.”

Now her friends look concerned. Taylor asked, “Okay… I’m guessing it’s someone from Blackwell. How about a name?”

Victoria whispered, “Max.”

“Oh shit.” “Wow! How is she?”


	4. Talking about Max

Victoria looked up, and said, “She seems to be doing well. She has a photography store just south of Portland. It’s actually really nice. She has a Leica collection that I really want to go through some more.”

Both of her friends rolled their eyes at that. Before they could say anything, Victoria continued, “She looks almost the same as she did back at Blackwell. She was even wearing the same kind of clothes.”

Courtney jumped in, “Seriously? T-shirt and a hoodie? I showed her some different outfits that she would look good in. I thought she liked them. Why does no one ever listen to me when I’m talking clothes? Merde!”

Victoria nodded, “I remember. Of course, that was only a few days before she left, so I guess she was still too messed up for it to really stick.”

Courtney shrugged, “Yeah, you’re probably right. Heck, we were all acting like we were her friends, even though a week before we were awful to her.”

Victoria frowned. The memory was not a good one. She didn’t even apologize at the time, just acted nice and thought that would make up for what she did. It wasn’t until Max left the school that she really understood how badly she had messed up.

Taylor asked, “So, how’d it go? Please tell me you didn’t say something stupid and piss her off. I can’t handle another six months of you pining over the girl.”

“Hey! I was not pining over anyone! I just felt bad about Nathan and being mean to her.”

Both of her friends groaned at that. _Ok, maybe I had been a little over the top about missing Max. It wasn’t my damn fault that my only real rival in photography had left without saying a word!_

Courtney said, “If you say so. Was she mad at you?”

“No. It was kind of awkward, but I apologized for how I treated her back then. She really gives off a mature vibe now, though she did make a stupid pun about liking Leica cameras.”

Taylor snorted, and Courtney grinned.

Taylor said, “Yeah, she never misses a pun.”

Courtney asked, “So, you guys made up? Will you see her again?”

Victoria leaned back. “I don’t know. She did give me her number and asked me to call, but she also talked about Chloe. I’m not sure what to think. Nathan killed her, and at the time, he was my best friend. I still think I could have stopped him, if I had paid more attention.”

Taylor said, “Nate was a wreck, and what he did isn’t your fault. Max gave you her number. Call her.”

Courtney nodded, “Yes! She’d never do that if she wasn’t interested in talking with you some more.”

“Are you sure about that? Max was super nice to everyone. She could have just offered her number to be nice, and not really meant it. It would be super awkward if I tried meeting with her again and she really hoped I didn’t.”

Courtney said, “That’s how you act, not Max. She is really nice, but she’d never pretend to like you if she didn’t.”

Victoria scowled. “What? I don’t do that!”

Taylor and Courtney started laughing. “Ok, maybe I do. But it’s normal! Heck, I’d never have gotten anywhere if I didn’t play that game.”

Her friends agreed with her on that. Business politics was a nightmare.

Taylor said, “Max isn’t like you. She’s nice in general, but she also doesn’t try to hang out with people unless she likes them. Heck, the only people I ever saw her spend any amount of time with were Kate, Dana, and that Warren guy. Kate and Max were two peas in a pod, and once Dana decides that she likes you, you are pretty much forced to hang out with her. Warren was stalking her, but I don’t think Max realized it. At least he ended up with Brooke, who was basically stalking him. Those two deserved each other.”

Victoria scowled at the mention of Warren. _What a creep._

Courtney added, “Yeah! Everyone liked Max, but she was very picky about who she actually hung out with.”

Taylor said, “I’m not too sure she actually realized most people liked her. She was kind of dense about that stuff.”

“Max wasn’t dense!”

Both of her friends looked at her silently. _Why the hell did I jump to Max’s defense like that, when it wasn’t even necessary? Damn, I’m a mess._

“I guess I’ll call her. At least I’ll know one way or the other if I should worry about her anymore.”

“Great!” “Just make sure you actually call her.”

“I get it! I will. I just hope it’s not a mistake.”

Victoria glanced at the clock. “I do have to get up early tomorrow. It was great seeing you. I really miss all three of us hanging out together.”

They spent a few minutes saying goodbyes, and Victoria finally closed her laptop. She flopped onto the hotel bed, and lay there.

_Should I call Max? I guess I should? Is this a bad idea? Tomorrow I’ll do it! Maybe we can at least get dinner or something._

After laying there for twenty minutes, going back and forth in her mind, she finally fell asleep.


	5. Factory photo shoot

Victoria pulled into the factory parking lot around 5 AM. She had maybe an hour before the sun poked up above the horizon. Sunrise photos always looked better, in her opinion.

_This is way too damn early. The things I do for some pictures. Why couldn’t the golden hour be at noon? Dang, this place looks haunted at night. I hope there aren’t any crazy bums around._

_I look like hell. Max would probably laugh if she saw me right now. My hair is mussed up, I have barely any make-up on, and I’m wearing cargo pants. I’m a total fashion disaster. I love these pants, though! So many pockets!_

She took her backpack with all of her gear and made her way to a spot that overlooked the main building, facing east. She was pretty sure she’d get some great shots here.

_I think the sunrise will show around the smoke stacks. A shot of the sun between them will look really cool._

The sky started to get brighter, and had a beautiful pink tone. There were a fair amount of clouds out, and they looked amazing. She started snapping photos. About fifteen minutes later, she got a bunch of shots of the sun just clearing the woods to the east. Its rays reflected off the buildings, giving them a warm glow. Victoria was in her element. She moved to the locations she had picked yesterday, stopping at each and snapping pictures rapid-fire.

Two hours passed, with her working hard to get the right angles for each shot. Finally, it started to get cloudier and darker.

_Damn, I was on a roll. Figures it would want to rain today. Guess it’s time to bust out the rain gear. Heck, this place will probably look really spooky when it’s dark and rainy. It will add a nice contrast to the other shots._

She got out her heavy rain jacket and put it on. Then she found her black umbrella hat and put it on, as well. _It looks goofy, but it keeps the lens dry and I can keep working._

The rain started coming down. It was steady, but not too heavy to work in. Victoria tried some new locations, and got some shots that were actually kind of creepy. The place really did have a sinister feel to it, now that the sun was hidden and everything was gleaming wet.

After an hour, she figured she had enough photos for the day. She finished it off with her own little tradition. _Selfie time!_

She got out her umbrella stand and put her camera on it. Then she picked up a curved stick she found on the edge of the lot. She went back to the camera and set it up for remote pictures. Then she took a bunch of selfies of herself posing as a samurai. She looked up from under her umbrella hat and imagined herself as Ogami Ittō from “Lone Wolf and Cub”. The camera kept clicking as she faced it. After a few minutes, she turned off the remote and checked the camera. Many of her selfies were just plain silly, but a few really did make her look like some cool modern samurai.

_Ok, that was fun! Definitely different from my normal selfies, but hey, no one’s here to judge me! I can do what I want!_

She went back to her car and packed everything away. Then she checked her messages and saw a text from her assistant, Shanna.

Shanna: Hey, Vicky! Hope things are going well down there. It’s all rain in Seattle. Joe Riggins asked about your shoot. I told him you were on location. I’ve sent out some feelers to those mags we talked about last week. I’ll let you know if I hear anything!

Victoria: Sounds good. I’ve already got a bunch of shots this morning. I’ll forward some samples to you later. Bye.

Shanna was a recent Blackwell graduate, and she was doing a good job. Victoria had to train her on how she wanted things done, but the girl was a fast learner. She was also really good at talking with clients, and that made her invaluable. She saved Victoria a lot of phone calls.

She was a bit annoyed at Joe calling. He worked at Pacific Northwest magazine, and was the reason she was here in the first place. He had hired her for some shots for an expose on businesses that were prominent decades ago, but were now gone. It was kind of depressing, but Victoria was determined to do the best work possible.

_Of course, the clown just gave me a list of names and addresses, and I had to check them all out on the internet and let him know which ones would actually be worth photographing. Nothing like doing his job for him. Well, he’s getting billed for all that time, not to mention me having to deal with the local yokels to even be allowed here._

The rain got heavier as she sat there, hitting her windshield with an increasing volume.

_Looks like I got done just in time._

She shot out a text with a few of her selfies to Taylor and Courtney. A few seconds later, her phone chimed.

Taylor: Lol! You are such a cornball! You should include these in your portfolio! :-p

Courtney: Funny! At work! ttyl!

Victoria: T, maybe when I own the Chase Space I’ll put them on display. ;P

Victoria: Court, I hope you have a great day at work!

Taylor: That would cause your parents to have a stroke. You should do it!

_It probably would. Heaven forbid someone have fun photos in such an avant-garde gallery._

Taylor: Sooooooo. Did you call Max?

Victoria: Not yet! I was working! I’ll call her soon, mom!

Taylor: Ouch. Low blow! But call her, for real!

Victoria: Gonna do it right now. See ya! Don’t let Adam drive you too crazy!

Taylor: Bye! Best of luck!

_I guess I have to call Max now. Damn, I hope this isn’t a terrible idea._

She grabbed Max’s business card and looked at the number. _Holy hell. Her handwriting is cute._

She entered it into her phone, saving it. She huffed, closing her eyes, and then hit dial.


	6. Shopping

The phone rang twice before Max picked up. “Hello?”

“Hi, Max. This is Victoria.” _Don’t sound nervous._

“Oh, hi Victoria! It’s good to hear from you! How’s your day going?”

“I just finished up shooting for the day, and thought maybe I could stop by the store and hang out?”

“Sure! I’m here. Swing by whenever you’re free. It’ll be cool to talk for a bit.”

“Give me an hour or two. I do want to check out your inventory.”

“I’m sure you do!”

_Wait… Is she flirting with me? No way!_

*cough* “Au revoir, Max.”

Victoria hung up. _Holy shit! Maybe she actually does like me! No. There’s no way. Fuck, I look terrible. I have to go change._

Victoria drove back to her hotel, parked, and got the bellhop to help her get her gear to her room. After tipping him, she took out the memory cards from her camera. She put one into her laptop and started copying it to the hard drive. The other she put into in a hard plastic case with lots of soft pockets, which she then stored in the room’s safe. _You can never have too many back-ups._

She took a quick shower; then decided what to wear. She picked out a nice dark yellow blouse and a dark tan skirt, but looking outside at the rain, picked out some black slacks instead. _No way I’m going to look like a slob in front of Max. I wish the weather was nice. That skirt would be so much better._

She got dressed; then sat down at her laptop. She flipped through a bunch of today’s photos, selecting ten that were decent but not amazing.

She emailed them to Shanna, adding, “Here’s some shots from today. Run them through Photoshop and show me what you can do.”

She liked giving her assistant some hands-on work. It gave her practice, and also let her show off a bit. Victoria would review them in a few days, and give her pointers and compliments. “ _A photographer is always learning, or they will fade away and be forgotten”, as Father would say._

She then closed everything up, put on some nice chelsea boots, and grabbed a jacket. She headed back downstairs, then out to her car. The rain had slowed down a little while she was in her room. She hopped in, turned on the local pop station, and drove south.

It took her about 20 minutes to reach the strip mall. The parking lot was mostly empty, but she still parked away from everyone else. It was now just drizzling a bit. Enough to be annoying, but that was it.

Victoria exited her car and walked to Pirate Photography, underneath her umbrella. She noticed the picture from Max’s business card was also on the window. _She and Chloe were so close. Fucking Nathan._

She pushed open the door, admiring all of the cameras before her. The bell tingled above her. She shook her head. _Of course, Max would think that is cool._

She started walking back to the Leica section, when she heard Max say, “Hi, Victoria!”

Max popped up from behind the shelves to the right, a big grin on her face.

Victoria stopped, and smiled back, replying, “Hi, Max! Trying to scare me?”

Max laughed. “Maybe a little.”

She came around the corner, still smiling. Max was wearing a dark flower-patterned blouse and jeans, along with brown clogs. _She looks great. Definitely nicer than yesterday._

“No hoodie? I’m shocked!”

“I don’t wear hoodies every day. Just sometimes. They’re really comfy.”

Victoria arched an eyebrow. “If you say so. I just think you look much better in that style of outfit. Why downplay your looks? You’re really pretty.” _Oh shit, did I just say that out loud? Shit!_

“Err, I mean, you need to appear your best for customers.” _Umm, that’s the best I could say? Dammit! Oh, no. I’m blushing!_

Max laughed again. “It’s okay, Victoria. Thanks for the ego boost, though!”

Victoria noted what might be a slight blush on Max’s cheeks.

“You know what? Let’s go look at your Leica stuff. This is too damn awkward.”

Victoria turned and quickly walked towards the Leica sign, her head slightly down. _Fuck. There is no way I can salvage this. She’s going to be making fun of me for years for this. I’m sure Kate will get a real kick out of hearing how I got all flustered and dumb._

Standing in front of the case, her eyes lit up. The brand new Leica SL2 was set front and center. “Oh, you have it in stock already!”

Max walked past her, her shoulder lightly brushing Victoria’s left arm. Max said, “Yep! Just came in a couple days ago. Of course, you’d notice it right away.”

_Max touched me! Was it on purpose? Why am I so worked up over this? I want that camera. 47 Megapixels! It will be a nice upgrade. I need it for my work!_

“How much for it?” _Don’t sound too excited. You’re a sophisticated, famous photographer. It’s just a camera. You have dozens in your office._

“It’s 6,000 bucks. Not sure it will ever sell. Most locals are tapped out around the 2,000 dollar point. I probably shouldn’t have gotten it in, but it helps me keep my dealer license with them.”

“I’ll take it.” _Fuck these local wannabes. That camera is mine!_

“Really? You don’t have to, Victoria.”

“Oh no, I want it! I was going to order one when I got back to Seattle. Now I don’t have to.”

_Yes! It’s mine! Fuck you, Amazon!_

Max smiled, “Alright. Is there anything else you wanted with it? Maybe a battery and some memory cards?”

Victoria nodded. “Yes. One battery, two memory cards. Oh, and that vintage camera bag.”

Max laughed. “I guess I can close the store for today. Let me get all of that for you.”

After a few minutes, the items were paid for and in a bag, ready to go.

Victoria asked, “Mind if we leave that behind the counter? How about we get some food or something?”

Max nodded, “Sure, let’s go next door to Joe’s. He has great coffee and some really good sandwiches and soups.”

“Wait. His name is really Joe? It’s not just a marketing gimmick?”

Max nodded. “Yep. Of course, he says that just means that he was destined to make great coffee.”

Victoria laughed. “You two must get along great, with jokes like those.”

Max nodded, then led them to the entrance. She flipped the sign over to closed, and stuck a hand-written note beside it that said she’d be back in an hour or so.

They then headed next door to the coffee shop.


	7. Joe's Coffee Shop

Max went in first. The tell-tale ring of a bell sounded as the door opened. Glancing up, Victoria saw another bell, very similar to the one in Max’s shop. “Did you two buy these bells as a set?”

Max laughed. “No. The guy who owns the plaza put them in every shop. It was there when I moved in. I do love it, though.”

“Of course you would.” _Wait, that was really bitchy._

“I mean, it definitely fits your style.”

Max gave her a bemused expression, then turned and waved at a big Italian guy behind the counter. “Hi, Joe! I brought a friend today!”

Joe smiled at them. He was a very handsome, though overweight, man in his thirties. Victoria felt annoyed. _I hope he isn’t flirting with Max all of the time._

“Hey, bella! What can I do for you today?” _Yes, he is flirting. Asshole._

“My usual coffee, and I think I’ll have a BLT with it.”, Max replied.

Victoria walked over to the counter, looking at the menu. “I’ll have a caramel macchiato, tomato soup, and a BLT as well.”

Joe nodded, “Got it! Max, here’s your coffee. Find a table and I’ll bring everything out to you in a couple minutes.”

Max led them to a table by the front window, holding a ceramic coffee mug, and sat facing her store. _I guess she wants to make sure she doesn’t miss any customers._

Victoria sat down, looking around the room. There were several other people at different tables, some talking, some working on laptops. The décor was pretty nice: wood panels and tables, a hardwood floor, and pictures of Italy on the wall. It wasn’t too big, but it felt comfy. It was also warm and dry, which was really nice after this morning’s weather.

Victoria noticed that Max was looking at her, and smiled, “Like what you see?”

Max’s eyes opened wide. “I was just thinking that you still look like you did at Blackwell. Your hair’s a little longer, but everything else is the same.”

Victoria replied, “I grew it out a little. I didn’t want to look too butch to clients. I have to say, you look almost exactly the same. You are dressed a lot better today. Courtney would be thrilled at the improvement.”

“Butch? You looked more like Audrey Hepburn than some rough bar girl.”

“Wow! Now that’s a compliment. I could only dream of looking as good as Audrey did. She was so gorgeous.”

Max grinned, blushing slightly. _Does she really think I’m that good looking? No way!_

They heard Joe coming towards them, and turned as he brought a tray of food to them. Victoria’s soup was much bigger than she expected, and so was her drink. The BLT looked really good, as well.

“Here’s your food! I’ll bring you a refill in a minute, Max.” With a wave, he went back to his bar.

Victoria looked at her meal. “This is a lot of food.” _No way I’m going to eat all of this._

Max nodded, “You won’t go hungry here. The coffee refills are free, too, as long as you are buying food.”

“Not the macchiato, though, right?”

Max shook her head, “Nope. He has good deals, but he’s not dumb. You do get a bigger cup than you would elsewhere, though.”

Victoria nodded. She grabbed her spoon and tasted the tomato soup. Her eyes got big, and she quickly took another bite. _This is really good! I wish this guy was set up next to my home office! I bet the sandwich is also good._

She picked up her BLT and took a bite. It was pretty much perfect.

Max laughed. “I guess you like the food, huh?”

Victoria nodded; then took another bite of her sandwich. Max waved to Joe and gave him a thumbs-up. He gave her one back and laughed.

Victoria said, “You two seem awfully friendly.”

Max nodded, “Joe’s a great guy. I’ve introduced him to some girls I know, and he’s been dating Christy for the last few months. I’m really happy for them. They get along great.”

“You’re a little match-maker? I wouldn’t have expected that, considering how shy you were.”

“I’ve changed. I still get nervous with people, but I’m a lot better than I used to be. Heck, I haven’t said anything too embarrassing to you, and that’s about as rough as it gets!”

Victoria stopped for a second. _Max is still a little scared of me, isn’t she? Yet she is still willing to go to lunch. I don’t get it._

“Max. I may tease you a bit if you do something goofy, but I really don’t mean anything by it. To be honest, I’m nervous, too. I know how badly I acted back then, and I still feel terrible about it.”

“Yeah, I understand. It’s just hard to break old habits.”

Victoria nodded. _I certainly get stuck in the past when I see you. I feel a bit differently than you do, though._

Joe came over and refilled Max's mug. Max and Victoria both complimented him on the food.

Victoria continued eating, and then asked, “Is your store doing well? It seems like it would be a hard business to be in, when everyone has a camera in their phone.”

Max shrugged. “I’m paying the bills, but I’ll never get rich. I love it, though. I get to talk to all of the local photography geeks, which is a lot of fun. There are more people than you think who still want a real camera.”

“True. It must be rough competing with the internet, though.”

Max nodded, “Yeah. A lot of people still like to be hands-on with a camera before buying it, though. It’s a big purchase. I try to teach them the basics, and people appreciate that. I know a few people keep buying from me just because I taught them what to do.”

“That’s great!” _Should I open up the can of worms or no? Fuck it. In for a penny..._

“So, what happened after you left Blackwell? I mean, if you want to tell me.”

Max shrugged, looking down. “I went back to my parents. I had to go to therapy for a while. I ended up just getting a GED. I couldn’t face going back to school at the time.”

“Oh. I… Hell, I wish that week had never fucking happened.”

“You and me both.”

Max stood up. “I think I’d better get back to the store.”

Victoria nodded. They went to the counter and paid for their meals.

Joe asked, “Only two cups, today? You’re slacking, Max!”

Max shrugged, “I can’t be the coffee-chugging champ every day!”

Joe laughed. He looked at Victoria and said, “You didn’t finish your soup, young lady!”

She shrugged. “It was a lot bigger bowl than I expected. It was really delicious though. Same with the sandwich!”

Joe nodded, smiling.

The girls left the shop and went back into Pirate Photography.

The rain continued.


	8. Continuing the conversation

The store was empty except for the two of them. Max flipped the sign back to open and took down her note. They wandered back through the aisles, Victoria pausing to look at various pieces of gear.

Max asked, “How did the shoot go this morning? I’m guessing you changed clothes, or was it something fancy with a model?”

“I changed back at my hotel. You’d probably laugh if you saw my work outfit. It’s very practical.”

Max snorted. “I can’t believe you’d risk being seen in anything but the most recent, most expensive outfit available.”

Victoria gave her a deadpan look. “I tried that for a few months when I first graduated. It was a disaster. It kind of worked when I was shooting a model in a prepared space, but not when I’m outside taking landscape shots. This morning I was photographing an old factory for a magazine article. There’s no way I’d wear anything fancy at that site.”

“Do you have any of the pictures with you? I’d love to see them.”

“Well, I have some okay shots I emailed to my assistant, for her to practice Photoshop on, but nothing really good. I honestly didn’t think to bring them with me.”

“Let’s see!”

Max led her over to a computer behind the counter. Victoria got online and checked her email. The inbox was empty. She checked the sent folder and downloaded the photos to Max’s computer.

Max pulled them up and looked them over. “I really like how you framed the smoke stacks with the sun. And this rainy shot showing the building and all those shadows looks cool.”

Victoria shrugged, “Well, these aren’t my best work. That’s kind of why I picked them out. Shanna, my assistant, gets to try and make these look really good. It’s fun seeing what she does.”

“Cool. Are you two really close?”

“Not really. She’s a nice girl, but our relationship is strictly work. No way I’m going to risk lawsuits or anything else by dating my subordinate.”

“Dating? I didn’t realize you liked girls that way. You certainly hid it well.”

_Oh, shit. That did not come out the way I meant. Fuck. Damn it. May as well scare her away now, so I don’t get my hopes up just to find out that she hates gays._

“There are lots of things you don’t know about me. Yes, I saw the graffiti back at school, but I most certainly did not love the dick. Those clowns only wished I did. I was stuck in the closet, though. The only people who knew were Nathan, Taylor, and Courtney. They didn’t really care, and certainly wouldn’t have told anyone else.”

“Oh. I guess I never did see you dating anyone. I just heard the rumors from the parties.”

“Yeah, how many rumors do you know that turned out to be true? It’s usually just jealous assholes spreading them.”

Max shrugged, “Most of them. I should know. Enough were spread about me.”

Victoria looked down. _I was the one who started most of them. Damn, I was such a bitch._

Max asked, “So, did you just go through your senior year without dating anyone?”

“Yeah. I was terrified that if everyone knew I was a lesbian, I’d lose whatever status I still had left. What with the Vortex Club being shut down and me being friends with Nathan, I was not really popular with many people. I was still rich and had my girls Taylor and Courtney, but we just became our own little clique. There weren’t any girls there that I wanted to date anyway, after you left.” _Wait. I did not just say that out loud. Fuck!_

Max looked at her, then shyly looked away. “Is that why you always teased me? Did you like me but were too scared to say anything? That’s kind of grade school.”

Victoria nodded, “Tell me about it. I had never even tried to date another girl. I did have a thing for Rachel, but that went nowhere at all. She wasn’t interested. I wanted to talk to you, but you were most definitely not cool enough for the Vortex Club, and I had spent a couple years making sure I was the queen of it.”

“I think you would have been surprised how well I’d have fit in if you’d asked me to date you.”

“Umm, are you saying you would have dated me?” _Is Max gay?_

Max looked down, her cheeks a little red. “Yeah, maybe. Though I think I would have tried to make you act nicer. It was a total turn-off how you treated everyone like dirt.”

Victoria nodded, “I was a huge jerk back then. I wasn’t even sure if you were into girls. I kind of suspected, but you spent a lot of time with Warren, so I thought you were straight.” _Max is gay!_

“Warren was just a friend. He definitely liked me as more, but I wasn’t really interested in him that way. I have dated guys before. It’s different, but I guess I like both.” _Max is bi! Not as cool, but still!_

“Wow. I wish I’d have known that back then. Of course, it’s probably better that I didn’t. I’d have likely made fun of you for being a hipster dyke.”

Max looked at her, hard. “I’m glad you didn’t. I’d have never forgiven you for it.”

Victoria frowned. “Yeah, I wouldn’t blame you. I couldn’t imagine someone doing that to me back then. I’d have probably freaked out and done something really stupid.” _I’m so glad that never happened. I’d have probably jumped off of the roof._

Max smiled, “Luckily, that never happened.”

Victoria nodded, “Yeah.”

Max glanced down, and scratched her hair. She then looked up and said, “I know you get to meet a lot of gorgeous women, and you are really successful. Have you managed to find someone special in the last few years?”

_Wait. She wants to know if I’m single? Is she actually still interested in me? After how I’d treated her? Am I going crazy?_

Breathing in, just a little shakily, Victoria replied, “I’ve dated a couple girls, but nothing serious. The last girl was almost a year ago.”

Max smiled.


	9. Dealing with customers

They both jumped a little as the door opened and the bell rang. _Fuck! I hate that bell!_

Max got up and walked towards the front, as Victoria fumed a little. She heard Max say, “Hi, Tom! How can I help you today?”

He replied, “I have to get a few more memory cards. Too many weddings are happening.”

They both laughed, as Victoria sat by the counter and rolled her eyes. She grabbed her bag and pulled out her new Leica, still in the box. Several minutes passed, as she half-listened to Max and Tom talk about cameras. She was reading the box as she heard them approach.

She heard the man say, “Oh, wow.” He had stopped walking. Victoria looked up, and saw him staring at her. _Oh, no._

The man got an excited look on his face as he approached, saying, “Excuse me. You wouldn’t happen to be Victoria Chase, would you?”

_Somebody recognizes me! Why now?_

Victoria smiled, replying, “Yes. It’s nice to meet you.”

She put her camera back in the shopping bag and stood up. Tom was a small guy with the standard hipster beard and glasses. He smiled, and said, “I saw the article on you in Photos magazine a few months ago! I never thought I’d see you here, of all places. It’s so cool to meet someone as famous as you in my neck of the woods.”

Victoria said, “Well, I did grow up in Seattle. This isn’t that far from home.”

Tom replied, “I loved the pictures you took for that big article in Traveler on the Austrian countryside. You made everything look magnificent!”

Victoria nodded, saying, “Yes, that was a fun trip. It was a lot of work to get some of those shots just right, but I think it turned out really well.”

Tom said, “Yeah! I’m surprised you found a European Mink out in the wild, and you photographed it just as it was catching a bird. That was really awesome! I’m surprised you didn’t win an award for it!”

_That was a great shot! I did get a really nice check from the magazine for it. It’ll be in the Chase Space at some point._

“That would have been nice. I saw that mink a few minutes earlier; and just took a ton of pictures as it moved around. The bird landing there was pure luck.”

Victoria noticed Max standing behind Tom, with a huge grin on her face. Max said, “Hey, Tom! Let’s get a picture of you two. Give me your camera!” _What? Really, Max?_

Tom nodded, pulled out a Fuji X-T3 camera, and handed it to Max. She waved to them, and Tom walked over and stood next to Victoria. She felt something on her back, and realized he had his hand lightly touching her waist, though he maintained distance between their bodies. _Really? Well, at least he doesn’t hover-hand like most people._

Victoria smiled as Max said, “Cheese!” The camera flashed and the picture was over. Tom stepped back, saying, “Thanks, Ms. Chase! Max. This is so cool!”

Tom then fumbled around in one of his jacket pockets and pulled out a worn day planner.

He asked, “If you don’t mind, could you autograph this for me?”

Victoria smiled again, grabbed a pen off of the counter, and signed his book.

_ Take lots of pictures and best of luck, Tom! _

_ Victoria Chase _

She handed it back to him. He read it and smiled at her, “Thanks a lot! It was great to meet you!”

Victoria nodded and smiled.

Tom turned back to Max and bought his memory cards. He smiled and waved as he walked back to the entrance and left the store.

Max started laughing as soon as he was outside. “You should have seen yourself! You are really good at faking it when meeting a fan, though. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were happy to see him.”

“Is that why you suggested the picture?” _You knew I wasn’t comfortable, but you had your laugh, I guess. Well, after all the shit I pulled on you, I kind of deserve it._

“Sort of. I also know that Tom is a huge camera nerd, and he’s probably going to post that picture on every website you can think of. It will be good publicity for you.”

“Ha, ha. Very funny. Though you are right about the publicity, I guess.”

The door bell rang again. _Seriously?_ Victoria looked over and saw a man, woman, and little girl enter the building. Max went over to greet them. Victoria watched as they went over to the side wall, which featured cheaper cameras. Max talked with them for ten minutes, showing multiple cameras to the parents and the girl. They picked out a cute pink Instax Mini camera. Victoria smiled as she watched the family pay for it. The little girl looked so happy. _I remember when that was me, except Father got me a nice Samsung DSLR to learn with. I hope her parents help her out a lot more than mine did._

Max walked back over to Victoria after the family left. She had a big smile on her face. She said, “I love when parents get their kids a camera. There’s always a chance they will end up being the next Bresson or Arbus.”

“I know. I hope they take the time to really teach her, and make it a lot of fun for her.”

“Yep. They seemed like a nice couple. I think they will.”

“Good. Were your parents the same when you were a child?”

“Yeah. My dad was really into it. Same with William, although Chloe wasn’t all that thrilled with photography. It was my dad’s idea to get the Polaroid. I still love those cameras.” _Chloe, again. Those two were so damn close._

“Of course you do. I notice that you sold that family an instant camera. They’re not the same as the old Polaroids, but I’m sure you love them.”

Max nodded, “Yeah, the pictures are a lot smaller, but they do come out much clearer.”

“And they will have to come back to buy film from you. Very convenient.”

Max smiled, “True, but I still think it’s a great beginner camera.”

The door bell rang again. _Again? I mean, I’m glad her store is doing well, but holy heck, I want to talk to her!_

Max shrugged, and looked over to the entrance. It was a couple of young women. She turned back to Victoria and said, “I hate to say it, but I am getting busy. I also have a class to teach tonight for some people. I’ve really liked talking to you again. I am closing tomorrow at six. Would you want to come by then and we can go get dinner somewhere nice? I mean, if you are interested.”

That last sentence came out a bit quieter as Max looked down, appearing nervous.

_Dinner at a nice restaurant? Like a date? Yes! Yesyesyesyesyes!_

Victoria responded, “I’d love that. I am in town for a few more days. You’ll have to pick the restaurant, though. I don’t really know the area. Don’t worry about cost. It’ll be my treat.”

Max smiled, “If you really want to. I can afford to split the bill.” _Nope! Not this time!_

“Max, I want to pay. It’ll make it feel like a real date.” _Was that too much? Did I just freak her out?_

Max blushed, replying, “Alright. I won’t choose a really fancy place, so you don’t have to go crazy picking out a dress. After all, I have to wear my outfit to work before we go.”

Max then leaned forward and gave Victoria a quick hug. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Victoria. Don’t be too late.”

Victoria smiled, feeling absolutely jubilant, “Don’t worry, I won’t be. I’ll see you then. Ciao!”

She waved at Max, then grabbed her bag and umbrella and headed out to her car. The rain had stopped. _This is the best day of my life!_

She smiled the whole way back to her hotel.


	10. More chatting about Max

Once she arrived, she quickly parked and went up to her room. _It’s kind of chilly in here._

She turned up the heat in the room and then changed into her silk pajamas. Still feeling a little cold, she pulled out her thick, fluffy robe and put it on too. _Father says I pack too much stuff. Ha! I love this robe!_

She snuggled into it, opened her laptop, and started sorting the photographs she’d taken today. One file was for keepers, one for maybes, and one for her selfies. Quite a few pictures went straight to the recycling bin.

After an hour of this, she ordered room service for a hot chocolate and a greek wrap from the hotel restaurant. She shivered as she went to the door to get her food. The maid looked at her funny as she brought the food in, but happily received the nice tip Victoria handed her. _I wonder what she was looking at?_

Victoria walked over to the mirror, but she looked fine. Her face was a little red, but that was probably from the sun and wind while working outside. _Maybe she didn’t expect someone staying in a good room to be outdoors. Anyway, time to chat!_

She turned on her chat program, started eating her wrap, and waited a few minutes. Courtney’s icon popped up, and Victoria added her.

Courtney smiled at her, and asked, “Hey, Victoria! How was your date with Max? I need details!”

Victoria laughed, “You’ll have to wait a few until Taylor shows up. I’ll just say it was good. How about you? Was work okay?”

Courtney nodded, “Yes, it was about normal. No really big sales, but lots of decent ones. It makes for a decent payday.”

“That’s good. I hope you get a few big spenders in before the week is out.”

Courtney nodded, “Me, too! You never know when it will happen.”

Victoria started sipping on her hot chocolate, when Taylor’s icon popped up. She quickly added her. Both Victoria and Courtney greeted Taylor, smiling.

Taylor said, “Hi, besties! How did your days go?”

Courtney answered, “Not bad. I’m dying to find out about Victoria and Max, but she wouldn’t tell me anything until you were here!”

They all laughed at that; then Victoria said, “I had a good time. We just had soup and sandwiches at this coffee place right next to Max’s store. They make the best damn tomato soup ever, and the BLT was also really good. I couldn’t even finish everything.”

Courtney said, “Sounds great! Did Max tell you what she’s been up to since Blackwell?”

Taylor nodded, looking concerned, but didn’t say anything.

Victoria said, “I feel bad about it. She went back to Seattle and ended up in therapy.”

Taylor replied, “Oh, damn. I was worried something like that happened.”

Courtney frowned, and looked down.

Victoria continued, “It’s even worse than that. She never even went back to school. She just got a GED, instead. She was really fucked up, and it’s my fault for letting Nathan be a complete asshole and not calling him on it.”

Taylor interrupted, “Victoria, stop right there. I am not going down that rabbit hole again. It wasn’t your fault; it was Nathan’s shitty father and that psycho Jefferson who made him crazy. Stop saying it’s your fault, when it’s not. Nathan pulled the damn trigger, not you.”

_Easy for you to say._

“Ok, I won’t say anymore about that. She was wearing a really nice flowery blouse today. She looked so good. It’s amazing how much better she looks when she tries.”

Courtney cheered, “Yes! Maybe she did pay attention to me. Or was she just dressing up for you?”

Victoria blushed, “Maybe. I didn’t even think of that. She did invite me out tomorrow to eat at a nice restaurant.”

Taylor replied, “Wait! You’re just now saying that?”

Courtney got a huge grin on her face and pumped her hand in the air. “You go, girl!”

“Yep! I have a real date with her, not just hanging out for lunch!” Victoria smiled so hard she felt giddy. She half stood up in a cheer, but then sat back down with a thud, kind of dizzy.

_Woah, that doesn’t feel right._

Both of her friends look really concerned.

Courtney asked, “Are you okay? What just happened?”

Taylor said, “Victoria, you are sick. Do you have a fever?”

Victoria shrugged, “I don’t know. I’m actually feeling really chilled.”

Taylor said, “Do you have a thermometer? I know you usually travel like you’re going on a six month trip.”

Victoria nodded, “I think so. Hold on. I’ll look for it.”

She got up and went to the dresser. She pulled out a small bag and checked it. She pulled out an electric thermometer and went back to the desk, swaying a bit as she walked. _I do feel a bit dizzy._

She sat back down and scanned her forehead. After a few seconds, she looked at the readout. “Damn. It’s 101.2. I cannot afford to be sick right now!” _Shit. All that time out in the rain caught up to me._

Courtney and Taylor both started talking. “Take some cold medicine! You should really log out and go to sleep.” “See a doctor!”

Victoria waved her hand. “I have some cold and flu pills. I’ll take them. I didn’t even realize I was sick. I just felt chilly.” _First sign of a fever, dummy! You should know this!_

Taylor nodded, “Good. Do it now. Let’s chat again in a few days. I won’t be able to tomorrow.”

Courtney looked worried, and said, “I hope it won’t be too bad. Get lots of rest! Be safe!”

Victoria nodded to them, told them good night, and shut down her laptop. She then went back over to the dresser and pulled out a box of medicine, got a bottled water from the fridge, and took some pills. She wandered over to her bed and face-planted right onto the pillow.

_I’m so tired._

She was asleep within minutes.


	11. Fever Dream

Victoria woke from a deep sleep. It was still dark out. The lace white curtains around her poster bed moved. A light, cool breeze wafted across her. _That’s strange. I know the window was closed._

A dark shadow crossed over her. She looked up to see a tall man, with metallic gold skin and white hair. He smiled at her, revealing long fangs that extended past his lower lip even as she watched.

Her eyes bugged out and she scrambled off the back of the bed. Thumping to the floor, she raced towards the heavy wooden door. The man instantly appeared in front of her, and she bounced off of his chest. He laughed; a rich, deep baritone that terrified her.

“You’re my snack for the night, my dear. Don’t think that you can escape.”

She quickly tried crawling around him, but he kicked her. She flew through the air, landing just below the open window. Her ribs screamed in pain. She suspected they were broken. The man walked towards her. Moonlight splashed across his face, which changed and became that of Father.

He said, “You’re such a disappointment. Doing drugs and sleeping with every girl that gets close to you. Did you actually think that I didn’t know you were a sick pervert who lusted after other women? You should have been a man. At least then I could have grandchildren. Do you really believe I’m going to allow you to acquire the Chase Space? It’s mine.”

His eyes turned red, and if anything, his fangs got even longer. Victoria struggled to stand.

She screamed, “Fuck you! I’m a better photographer than you ever were!”

He laughed. In despair, she spun about and leaped out of the window. His hand barely missed her ankle as she fell, three stories onto the ground.

A few moments of blackness followed, and then Victoria was looking down at her own body. Her body’s neck and left arm were twisted horribly, and blood was splattered all around her. _At least I got away from that monster._

A laugh sounded right behind her, and then strong arms surrounded her. She saw golden hands, and tried to turn. Father’s face was right next to hers, his breath hot and smelling of death. “Did you really think that you could escape me, just by dying?”

Victoria bolted straight up in bed, hyperventilating and terrified. She frantically looked around, seeing only the hotel room. She was covered in sweat, and felt dizzy.

_What the fuck kind of dream was that? Holy shit, I never, ever want to have a nightmare like that ever again._

Her head throbbed. _Ugh, I feel terrible._

Turning slowly, she looked at the clock. It was 1:12. _Oh no! Please tell me it’s still night time!_

There was way too much light in the room for that to be true, though. _Shit! It’s so late already!_

She stood up, determined to get a shower and get ready for her big date. The room spun, and she fell right back onto the bed. _I want to vomit. It’s so hot in here. Why am I so damn dizzy? I need a few minutes to get my head straight._

Her phone was on the nightstand beside her, so she picked it up, on her second try. It was blinking. She saw a bunch of texts and one missed call. _From Max._ There was also a voicemail. _Oh no, I hope she doesn’t think I’m ghosting her. This is terrible!_

She immediately brought Max up in her contacts and hit the number. After two rings, Max answered, “Hi, Victoria. Did you get my message?”

“Umm, not really. I’m really sick, and I just woke up. I called without listening to it.” _Like she’s going to believe that. Wait. She wasn’t cancelling our date, was she? Oh, God!_

“Really? You’re sick? Ok. I just called to say we’d be going to an Italian place that I like, and you should just wear something semi-casual. I guess not, now?”

_She doesn’t believe me! She hates me!_

“Seriously, Max, I’m sorry! I have a fever and I’m cold, but then I’m hot. I want to throw up. I’m so tired right now, but I will be there! There’s no way I’m missing this!” _God, I sound like I’m desperate. How To Scare Away A Girl 101, Victoria._

“That’s ok, if you are that sick. Have you seen a doctor?”

“No, this just came on last night. I think being outside in the rain and being stressed out caught up to me.”

“Where are you staying? Didn’t room service check on you?”

“I always keep a Do Not Disturb sign up when I’m in a hotel. In any case, I’m at the Curio. It’s a really nice place.”

“Never heard of it. Well, get some rest and don’t worry about tonight. I’ll cancel the reservation. I hope you feel better.”

“Wait! I’m really actually sick. I’m not blowing you off. I do want to go on a date with you, Max.”

“Alright, maybe call me back tomorrow if you feel better. Bye.”

The phone clicked, and she heard it buzzing. She lowered it to her legs, and just flopped back onto the bed. _She didn’t believe me. She thinks I reconsidered and don’t want to be with her. I’m such a screw-up._ _Damn, I feel terrible._ She crawled back up and carefully made her way to the dresser. She took a couple more pills, then went to the restroom.

Once she finished, she made it back to her bed and laid back down. _My life really sucks. Victoria Chase. Amazing photographer. Always alone because every girl who talks to her for more than a day can’t stand her. Fuck. Why do I always screw up every single chance I get with a girl I like? Every fucking time._

She fell back to sleep, after a little tossing and turning and whining to herself.

After what seemed like only a few seconds had passed, she was woken up by the ringing of her phone. _What the heck? Well, at least I didn’t sleep through it this time. Seven o’clock. Well, there goes my date. I hope I can fix this._

Caller ID showed her it was Max. _Maybe she’s going to curse me out._

She answered softly, “Hi, Max.”

“Hey, Victoria. What room are you in? I’m in the lobby.”


	12. First Date

“Huh?”

“I’m in the lobby of the Curio. That is where you are staying, correct?”

“Yes. I mean, you’re really here, right now?” _Oh fuck! Wow! She’s worried about me!_

“Yes, and I’d like to come up to your room and see how you’re doing.”

“I’m in 823. I’m really not ready for a visitor, though!” _I look terrible! I’ve got no make-up on and my hair’s a mess!_

“I’ll be there in a couple minutes.” Max hung up.

_No! She can’t see me like this!_

Victoria jumped up, absolutely panicked, and almost fell onto the floor. The room was spinning. She realized that she was completely soaked with sweat. She walked over to the restroom, being careful not to trip. Once there, she looked into the mirror. Her shoulders sagged.

_I look even worse than I thought. My hair is wet! My eyes and nose are red. This is awful!_

She splashed water onto her face, which felt cold and actually really good. She ran some more through her hair, which instantly made her feel a little cooler. She grabbed her brush and tried to fix her hair, but then there was a knock on the door.

_Fuck! I need more time! This isn’t fair!_

She staggered over to the door, and leaned on it. There was another knock. She looked into the peephole and saw Max. Sighing, she opened the door.

She looked down at the carpet, completely embarrassed, as Max entered the room. Max said, “Damn, Victoria, you weren’t kidding!”

“No shit.” Victoria noticed that Max was carrying a container with her. She shut the door and slowly made her way back to her bed. She felt Max at her left side after a few seconds, helping her to walk.

“Thanks. What’s that?”

“Umm, I got some chicken noodle soup from the restaurant. I thought it would help.”

“I’m not really hungry.”

“When was the last time you ate?”

“Last night. After I got back here.”

“That’s 24 hours ago! You need to eat!”

Max opened up the container and pulled out a covered bowl and some silverware. Once she took the lid off, Victoria could faintly smell the soup. Her stomach immediately rumbled. She looked away, her face red.

“Sounds to me like you’re hungry.”

“Ok, I guess I am. I just didn’t feel like it until I smelled that soup.”

Victoria turned to Max, pulling the blankets up over her shoulders and over her lap. She took the bowl and carefully started eating. She could sort of taste the broth, even though her senses were incredibly dulled. Max looked at her, then stood up and walked over to the thermostat.

She said, “I’m turning the heat down. It’s an oven in here. No wonder you’re sweating so much. I’m starting to sweat, and I’ve only been in here a couple minutes.”

Victoria kept eating, and watched as Max turned back towards her. She had on a dark blue hip-length jacket, which she took off after a few seconds. She placed it on the chair. Underneath, she had a turquoise dress on, with a silver necklace. She had low heels on her feet, nice but something she could wear all day at work. _She looks great. I wish I could take a picture of her right now._

Max sat down at the desk, after turning the chair towards Victoria. She said, “I feel really bad about this. I’d hoped for us to be sitting down eating a great meal right now, instead of you just having some soup.”

Victoria nodded, and set the bowl aside. She’d already finished it. _I guess I was really hungry._

“I know. This is certainly not the perfect first date. It was really nice of you to come here, though.”

Max smiled, “Well, I didn’t want you to be alone if you feel so bad. Heck, I also get to see what the really nice hotel rooms look like.”

They both laughed. Victoria felt a head rush, and slowly laid back down. Max got up and hurried over, taking the dinnerware and putting it aside. She sat by Victoria’s side, and reached down, brushing the hair out of her face.

“Hey, your forehead is really hot! When was the last time you took any medicine?”

“After I talked to you on the phone.”

Max looked worried. She asked, “Do you have a thermometer?”

“In the top drawer, in the brown leather dopp kit.”

Max went over and found the bag. She took out the thermometer and walked back over to Victoria. She scanned her forehead and said, “It’s reading 100.9. That’s too high. You’ve been like this since last night?”

“Yes.”

Max stood up and walked to the bathroom. Victoria heard the water in the tub turn on. She came back and said, “Victoria, how about you get in the tub? I set the water so it’s cool, but not too cold. You need to lower your body temperature.”

“What? With you here? I can’t do that!” _Oh my God! I can’t be naked in front of Max! We aren’t anywhere close to that! Imagine if she joined me. It would be amazing. No! Not now, when I’m sick! I bet she’s toned and has freckles all over her chest. This is wrong!_

“Relax. I’m just going to help you to the bathroom, and you can close the door behind you. I won’t peek.”

_I want you to peek! No, I need to be looking great before she sees me like that. This is so wrong! Why is this happening?_

“Don’t wanna.”

Max snorted, and said, “Ok. Get up.”

She reached down and pulled the blanket off of Victoria. Then she took Victoria’s hand and pulled her up. Victoria staggered a bit, but Max quickly braced her and walked her over to the bathroom. Once there, Victoria sat on the closed toilet seat while Max turned off the water.

Max said, “It should be good, now. You really need to do this. I wish you hadn’t turned the heat up so high, or you might already be feeling better.”

Victoria nodded, pouting. Max shook her head and walked out into the room, then turned and closed the door. Victoria waited a minute, then sighed and slowly stood up. She already felt a little better, just from eating. She took off her robe and pajamas and laid them on the seat. _I actually slept in my robe? I didn’t even take it off? I must have been out of it._

Then she stepped into the tub. The water felt really cold, and she pulled her foot back out of it. “Hey! This water is freezing!”

She heard Max’s voice through the door, “No, it’s not. You’re just too damn hot! Get in!”

Grimacing, Victoria took a minute to do just that. She felt like she was turning into an icicle, but it also felt good. She slid down and laid flat in the water. Breath rushed out of her as the water closed over her ribs and head. She lay there for several minutes, gradually relaxing. She heard the TV in the room turn on.

_I wonder what Max is watching? I’d love to sit on the bed together with her, under the blankets, and watch anime. I wonder if she likes it? She is pretty geeky. I bet she does._

She lay in the water for another ten minutes, half out of it from the fever and daydreaming about Max. Finally, she started feeling colder than before and decided to get up. She slowly stood up, unplugged the drain, and grabbed one of the hotel towels to dry off. She covered herself, cracked the door open, and said, “Hey, Max! Could you go into the middle drawer and get me another pair of pajamas? These ones are gross.”

“Sure thing!” A minute later, Max handed her some red silk pajamas.

Victoria closed the door and got dressed. She went back into the room, to see Max sitting in the chair, watching something about ghosts.

Max turned to her, smiled, and asked, “Feeling any better?”

Victoria nodded and smiled, and went back to sit in her bed. “A little. Definitely better than an hour ago. Thanks for coming over. I really appreciate it.”

Max smiled and said, “I’m glad I did. You had me a little worried. I guess you can call me Doctor Caulfield from now on.”

“Ha! I don’t think so.”

Max stood up, saying, “Well, I guess I’ll be going. Let me know right away if you feel worse. Heck, call me tomorrow when you are up.”

“I will. You’ve been great tonight. Are you sure you can’t stay a little longer?”

“Trying to seduce me already? I have to get into work early tomorrow. I have a bunch of film to develop for a customer. I kind of put it off so I could see you.”

Max put on her jacket.

Victoria smiled, “Well, au revoir, Max. I’ll call you tomorrow. Thank you.”

Max smiled, walked over, and leaned down. She kissed Victoria on the forehead and then stepped back.

“I’m not a little kid, you know.”

“Could have fooled me.”

Max laughed, then turned and left the room.

Victoria stared at the door for several minutes after it closed. Then she watched part of the documentary on poltergeists before falling back to sleep.


	13. Catching up on texts

Victoria opened her eyes slowly, the room already bright from the sun. She sat up and smiled _. I feel a 1000 percent better today! Totally wasted my Wednesday, though._

She stood up and stretched. _Heck, I think that’s the most sleep I’ve gotten in years. Too bad most of it probably didn’t count for much. I feel great!_

She picked up the hotel phone and called room service. “This is Victoria in room 823. Could you send me up some pancakes, orange juice, and coffee please? Oh, and please send a cleaning lady later this morning. I need new sheets and a new blanket. Thanks!”

She noticed her phone was blinking. _How many texts did I miss yesterday? Do I even want to look?_

She went to pick it up and realized it was plugged in. _Max must have done that. I certainly didn’t remember to._

She opened it up and checked. _Fuck._

Courtney: Hey Victoria! Hope you’re feeling better. You should try peppermint tea if you have a fever! It will help!

_At least her heart’s in the right place._

Taylor: Hi, Vic! I hope you’re fever is down. Take a cold shower. It will help.

_And there’s the solid advice._

Shanna: How’s things going down there in Portland? I have a new job lined up for you in two weeks down there. It’s just a fashion model for some local magazine. Nothing major. I’ll tell you more when you get back.

_Wait? I get to come back in two weeks? More chances to hang out with Max! Yes!_

Mother: Victoria, don’t forget we have a dinner with the Coburn family this Saturday. You need to be there.

_Yes, mother. Another boring kiss-ass session with the local rich guy, who thinks he knows art. Fuck. Mother is probably trying to set me up with his son. That is going to be torture._

Courtney: Work is so boring today! Only a few window shoppers. Feel better! Miss you!

_Poor girl hates her job, but loves clothes, so she forces herself to be there. I wish I could help her out more, but she wants to make it on her own._

Shanna: Joe from PNW mag called. He was hoping to see a few photos today.

_What? Fuck him! For someone who works at a magazine, he knows jack-shit about photography._

Taylor: Don’t have kids.

_Uh-oh. Adam must have done something really dumb. I bet this will make a good story._

Shanna: Any word on those pics? That clown called me again. I told him we’d send something when it’s ready, so probably not today. He sounded grumpy, but whatever.

_That’s it. I’m charging him extra. Fucking asshole._

Shanna: Ok, it’s the end of the day. Are you okay?

_No, I was not._

Shanna: Guess you’re out partying hard ;). Please contact me tomorrow re: PNW.

_I wish I was partying. If she doesn’t suggest charging that rag extra fees, I’m going to question her judgment. At least I didn’t have to talk to him on the phone._

Max: Good morning, Victoria! I hope you’re feeling better. I’ll be in the darkroom till 11, so don’t bother calling me before then.

_Of course, Max probably loves developing film. It’s almost as “good” as her old Polaroid. Seriously, how did she even keep that thing working?_

Max: Do call me after that, though! Sorry if that sounded rude. Bye!

_Don’t worry, I’ll be calling you! No way I’m not!_

She then started tapping away at her phone.

Victoria: Shanna, I’ll get some shots that are good to you later today. Tell Joe that good photos take time.

Almost immediately, she got a reply.

Shanna: Sounds good! He’s a real jerk. If they weren’t paying so much, I’d be pissed. Seriously, though, you should charge extra for dealing with him.

Victoria: My thoughts exactly. I knew I hired the right girl!

Shanna: You know it! Blackwell alumni are the best!

Victoria: Lol! I was actually sick all day yesterday. Lost the entire day. I will have to be down here for at least Monday and Tuesday to finish up. I didn’t get to that shipyard. I need to spend at least a day there.

Shanna: Ouch! I hope you’re feeling better now. I can’t believe you actually took a day off.

Victoria: First sick day I’ve taken in two years. I’ll definitely take that model shoot in Portland. Heck, if you can find others in this general area, I’m interested.

Shanna: Wait, really? Is there something you’re not telling me?

Victoria: Not a thing.

Shanna: I did see some guy on Instagram was posting a photo of you two at some camera store…

Victoria: Oh, heck no! You know better than that! Now go do some work. Bye!

Shanna: Good luck, Vicky! Make me proud!

Victoria rolled her eyes. _That girl loves to gossip. I’m sure she’ll be all over me the day I get back to the office._

She sent another text.

Victoria: Mother, I’ll be there.

She didn’t expect a reply.

There was a knock at the door. She went to it, checked, and let in room service. She tipped the man and started eating.


	14. Feeling Better

After eating way too much, and loving every bite, Victoria got on her laptop. She sent an email to Taylor and Courtney.

[Hey guys! I was really sick yesterday. You were right. I feel much better now. Max came to the hotel last night and fed me! She didn’t stick around too long, though. Probably good, since I don’t want her getting whatever I had. I’ll tell you more later! Bye! Victoria]

She took out her new camera and set it up, and plugged in the battery. _I’m going to use this thing today! Even if it’s just for some rough-in shots! I already love this thing!_

She then spent an hour and picked out a group of photos that looked pretty good without editing. She emailed Shanna.

[Shanna, I’ve attached some pictures you can forward to Joe. They are not edited, and make sure he knows that. Tell him he needs to be patient (seriously, tell him this). Thanks, Victoria.]

She then took a hot shower and got ready for the day. She got in her work outfit and packed up her gear. _Everything’s ready to go, but it’s time to call Max!_

She pulled up Max in her contacts and hit Send. _I can’t believe I’ve actually got her on speed dial now!_

After the fourth ring, Max picked up. She sounded a little out of breath. “Hi, Victoria. Sorry, but I ran a little late in the dark room. Just finished up, luckily. I’m glad I didn’t miss your call.”

Victoria replied, “Good timing, then! Thanks so much for coming by last night. I actually feel a lot better now. It was really nice to see you. I hope seeing me like that didn’t scare you away.”

Max laughed, “Don’t worry yourself sick over that. I am glad I stopped by.”

Victoria paused. _Lamefield strikes again._ She said, “I’m going to run out to an old shipyard today and get some scouting shots. I do have to leave tomorrow, though. Family obligations, unfortunately.”

“Oh? You don’t sound too excited about it.”

Victoria sighed, “My mother is hosting a little party where she’s going to introduce me to the son of some rich snob and try to get me decently married.”

Max laughed even harder. After a few seconds, during which Victoria started to get a little annoyed, she said, “Really? People actually do that? I guess she doesn’t know you’re not into guys, huh?”

“Absolutely not. Lesbians can’t supply grandchildren to inherit the family estate. I’m not sure what my parents will do if or when they figure it out, but I’m trying to avoid that as long as possible.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. My parents were actually pretty chill when I told them. Of course, I think they kind of suspected it, considering how close Chloe and I were. I wish your parents were better about this.”

_Chloe, again. Why do I feel so inferior to a dead junkie drop-out? Bad Victoria! She must have been okay if Max liked her!_

Victoria said, “Well, it’s not like they hate gay people. They just want to have some kind of dynasty, since our family has been wealthy ever since my great-grandfather was alive. Of course, he was a railroad man, and I suspect was a pretty awful human being. I don’t think they’d disown me or try to hurt me in any way. They’d just be incredibly disappointed and make that very obvious.”

“That sucks. I guess the people your parents hang out with are really obsessed with appearances, aren’t they?”

“Very much so. It’s incredibly aggravating. Almost as aggravating as me missing our dinner date.” _Get out of that topic! It will just depress us both! I have to sound positive for Max!_

After a second, Max replied, “It’s only the best Italian food in the area! Maybe the next time you’re around we could go?”

Victoria nodded, even though Max couldn’t see her. “I’m actually going to be back next week to finish shooting. I also have some kind of gig with a model in a few weeks. We can definitely hook up then!” _Wait. Did I just say hook up? Oh no! Why do I do this to myself?_

Max laughed. “Oh my dog! Calm down, girl!”

Victoria froze, her face as red as it could possibly get. “I didn’t mean it that way! I’m sorry! I just want to hang out with you and get to know you better!”

“Oh, like friends?” _Shit! That isn’t right, either!_

“Hey! You know I like you more than that! I just meant I wasn’t trying to rush you.”

Max giggled, “I know. I’m just messing with you. You get worked up way too easily.”

Victoria pouted. “That’s not nice. I was getting really worried.”

“Don’t be. I will meet up with you. How about you come over to my shop Monday, at six again? This time, we’ll actually go to that restaurant.”

_Another chance at a nice date? Yes!_

“I’ll be there! This time nothing will stop me. Heck, I haven’t had really good Italian in weeks.”

“I think you’ll like it. Oh, I have a customer. I gotta go. I can’t wait to see you next week!”

“You too! Make lots of money!”

Max laughed, and they both hung up.

_I have an idea._

Victoria got out Max’s business card and hopped on her computer. She added in Max’s email and saved it, then started typing.

[Max, Here are some photos I took on Tuesday. Let me know what you think. Victoria]

_Should I write “Love, Victoria”? Is that way too soon? Yeah, probably. Maybe in a month or two I can do it without worrying. I hope!_

She added in the factory shots she had forwarded to Shanna, and then went into her selfie folder. She picked out several of the best pictures, especially where she looked like a cool samurai. She also added in one or two of the goofy ones. _I hope she likes this. Maybe it’s a bad idea? She was the selfie queen of Blackwell, though. I think she’ll love them._

She hit send, and then got up, gathered her gear, and headed downstairs to her car. It was nice out, luckily. She drove for about half an hour to an old shipyard.

_This place is almost as bad as the first one. At least there are some old boats still sitting around. That will make for some great imagery._

She got out her new camera and spent hours running around, taking photos and figuring out where the best lighting would be for the morning shoot. _I love doing this stuff. No one’s around. It’s just me and my camera. It’s so fun, and I don’t have to give directions to some clueless model who’s only famous because they look pretty._

After she started getting tired, she packed everything away and went back to the hotel.

_Wow, I’m still not healthy. I’m exhausted, and I didn’t even work for that long._

She entered her room, which was nicely cleaned. _They remembered to get me a new blanket. It’s even a different design. It’s worth paying extra for a good room._

Victoria took a few minutes to plug in her camera battery, put one of the memory cards in the safe, and plug the other memory card into her laptop. She started downloading the pictures, and went to take a shower. After getting out, she put on her pajamas, and ordered Chinese take-out from a local restaurant. It showed up pretty quickly, and she ate lo mein while she checked her email.

_Max had replied to her!_

She opened it, feeling a bit nervous.

[Victoria, I loved your photos! You really are great at architecture photography. Your selfies were also really good! Love that hat! You looked soaked, though. I think I know why you got sick. You should really be more careful! Here’s a few pictures I think you’ll like in return.]

Victoria quickly opened up the attachments. One photo was Max looking at the camera, with the Leica stand behind her. She was in a blue hoodie and jeans. _Of course, it was a Leica joke. How did I not see that coming?_

The second one was Max blowing a kiss right at the camera. _Oh fuck._

Max’s hair was a little tousled, and she had a twinkle in her eye. She looked like she was really happy and was about to start grinning, even through the kiss.

_Max looks amazing. How can a girl with short brown hair and freckles look so hot? She does it with almost no effort! I’m keeping this forever!_

Victoria saved both photos, and then went to bed. She grabbed her phone, got to her email (ignoring the multiple texts that were on it), and pulled up the photo of Max blowing her a kiss. She lay in bed, staring at the photo, and slowly ran her hand across her body and eventually down to her pajama bottoms. It was almost an hour before she stopped and went to sleep.


	15. Home to Seattle

The next morning, Victoria woke up and packed her stuff. She called down to the main desk and reserved a room for early next week, as well. Once she had everything ready, she called Shanna at the office.

“Hey, Shanna. I’m about to head out. I’ll call you once I get home.”

“No problem, Vicky! I am just catching up on paperwork. I forwarded those photos to Joe, and told him to calm down. He sort of apologized, but not really, the prick.”

Victoria shook her head. “At least he pays well. Anything else going on?”

“No. I shopped those pictures you sent me. Did you get them?”

“I haven’t checked my email. I’m guessing they are there, though. I’ll look at them later today.”

“Thanks! I think you’ll like what I did!”

“Yeah, I expect I will. Well, I have to go. Ciao!”

“Bye!”

Victoria hung up. She called the hotel desk again, and the bellhop came upstairs and helped her with her luggage. Once that was all done, she started up her car and headed north.

_Nothing like a three and a half hour drive to end the week. At least I’ll be home, though!_

She got stuck in traffic at the bridge going into Washington, but it was only for a few minutes. After that, she cruised along, only stopping once for gas and a snack.

At two in the afternoon, she finally got back into Seattle. Another thirty minutes had her pulling into her driveway in Broadmoor. She got out, happy that the drive was over. Her house was a solid red brick building, with a small yard and several trees. The back hedge ran along the neighboring golf course property.

_I love this place. I wish I could actually be here more often. I travel so damn much. At least the landscaper kept it looking good._

She took fifteen minutes unloading her car and getting her luggage inside. Once that was done, she went to her desktop computer and got it running. Then she copied all of her photos from her laptop to it. As it was running, she started some tea and grabbed a granola bar to munch on.

She called Shanna and let her know she made it home safely. Then she checked her phone. It was filled with texts from Courtney and Taylor. Victoria rolled her eyes. _Guess we’ll have to chat tonight. No way I’m explaining what happened over texts._

She sent her friends a text about chatting, and then took an hour to put away her things, and got a load of laundry started. Then she sat back down at her computer. She checked her emails. Some work stuff, more emails from Taylor and Courtney, and the email from Shanna.

Victoria opened that up, and downloaded the attachments. She took twenty minutes to review them. They all looked good, which didn’t surprise her. Shanna knew her stuff. One photo was interesting. Shanna turned one of the photos of the factory stacks and made it look like a 1970s psychedelic art piece. It had very bold colors, some areas turned wavy, and heavy outlines for the stacks and building.

_This looks really cool. Not usable for work, but a fun art piece. I should have had her submit it to Joe. I bet his head would explode._

She wrote up an email, reviewing Shanna’s work. She did point out a few things that needed a defter touch, but told her that it was well done. She pointed out the artsy piece and recommended that if she really liked doing that stuff, that she should start up a portfolio of similar work.

After messing around for another hour, watching videos and reading her favorite photography forum, Victoria opened up her main chat program. Courtney and Taylor were already there.

Victoria: Hey girls!

Taylor: Hi, Victoria!

Courtney: Hi! We were just talking! What’s the scoop on you and Max? She fed you?

Victoria: I was really sick. I had a bad fever, and was stuck in bed. I had to cancel our date at an Italian place Max likes.

Taylor: That sucks.

Courtney: Ouch! Are you feeling better now?

Taylor: It looks like you’re back home, at least.

Victoria: Yeah, I drove home today. I really hate the interstate. I do feel a lot better today.

Both of her friends nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Victoria: Anyway, I called Max and told her I was too sick to go out. She ended up driving to my hotel and got me chicken noodle soup from the restaurant. I felt so awful, but she made me eat. Then she made me take a cold shower. I guess I had the heat turned up really high in the room, but I felt cold and sweaty at the same time. I didn’t even think that it would make the fever worse.

Taylor: Victoria! You’re lucky you didn’t get even sicker. I thought you knew better than that.

Victoria: I normally do, but I guess I was so sick I couldn’t even remember that I needed to cool myself off, instead of trying to warm up.

Courtney: So, Max made you take a shower?

Victoria’s face got red. Her friends both looked a lot more excited.

Victoria: Yes, but I made her wait out in the room. She just got the water started and made me actually do it. Nothing weird happened.

Courtney: I can’t believe you were in the same room as Max, naked in the shower, and nothing “weird” happened.

Taylor: Hahaha! This is great! There’s no way you weren’t completely flustered and acting shy and scared.

Victoria: Shut up! As I said, nothing happened. I am really glad she came over, though. I think she actually really likes me, even after seeing me sick, with no make-up, and completely out of it.

Courtney: True. Not that you need a ton of make-up.

Taylor: Yeah, you are naturally very pretty. I bet Max is all hot and bothered, getting to play nurse for you!

Victoria: What? There’s no way. You don’t think she’d be into that, do you?

Her friends started laughing again.

Taylor: Well, it looks like you are, at least!

Courtney: Oh nurse! I have a fever! I need you to cool me down! Or am I too hot for you?

Victoria: Hey! Stop that! _Oh my God, I’m going to die from embarrassment._

Victoria: I just had an idea. Give me a second to email you two.

She quickly opened up her email and forwarded the picture of Max in front of the Leica stand. _No way they will ever see the one of her blowing me a kiss._

She waited a few seconds for them to receive it.

Taylor: Damn, you weren’t kidding. She looks great.

Courtney: If I wasn’t straight, I’d be jealous. Max really does look good. Shame about her clothes, though.

Victoria: She does dress up really nice, though. She had on this amazing turquoise dress when she came over to my hotel. Well, I guess it was kind of a normal dress, but she looked amazing in it! I wish I had a picture of her in it.

Taylor: Calm down, girl! You’re going to start drooling, soon.

Victoria: Gee, I seem to remember a certain somebody getting all worked up over some guy named Mike. How many hours did we hear about him, Courtney?

Courtney: So many! “He’s so dreamy! He has great curly hair! Look at this picture of him with no shirt on! He has such amazing abs!”

Taylor: Ok, ok. Sorry. I’m glad you two seem to be hitting it off, though.

Courtney: Me, too! Max will be good for you!

Victoria: Good for me?

Courtney: She’ll keep you grounded, and less bitchy.

Taylor: Definitely less bitchy.

Victoria: Hey! Anyway, I’m going back to Portland next week for work, and Max and I will have our dinner date on Monday. I can’t wait!

Taylor: Great! I hope you have a good time!

Courtney: Me, too! Enjoy yourself! You deserve it!

Victoria: I’m kind of nervous. Even with what’s already happened, it will be our first fancy date. I mean, I know that I’d have to do something really dumb to scare her away, but I have done that in the past.

Taylor: Just relax. Max invited you, remember?

Courtney: Yep! I bet she’s at least as nervous as you are.

Victoria: Maybe… Anyway, Taylor, what was that you were saying about “Don’t have kids”?

They spent another half an hour talking, with Taylor telling them about how Adam found a can of paint in the garage and proceeded to finger-paint the walls. Mike had come home to her trying to clean up the mess. She then started gushing about her husband for a few minutes. Courtney talked about her job and her website, but not much had changed there.

Victoria finally closed the chat and got up. She put her clothes in the dryer and went into the kitchen. She ended up cooking a burger for dinner. Then she relaxed, cruised the internet for a while, and finally went to bed.


	16. Dinner With The Parents

The next morning, Victoria got up, took a shower and dressed, and spent a few hours on the internet looking at news and posting on the photography forum. As she was thinking about lunch, her phone rang. It was her mother.

“Hello, Mother. How are you today?”

“Just wonderful! Are you ready for the dinner party? It will start at six.”

“Yes, I will be there.”

_It’s not like I have an option._

“You must be. The Coburns are a major philanthropist in the area. Their son, Edward, will also be there. He’s only a few years older than you. He’s a very nice man, and very handsome!”

_And very rich, of course._

“I’m sure he is, Mother. I’ll wear a nice dress and be on my best behavior.”

“Victoria. You don’t have to be rude. I think you’ll like him! You’re not getting any younger, you know!”

_You’d think I’m an old maid. I’m only 24!_

“I’m sure he’s a lovely person. I’ll be there.”

“Very well. Don’t be late!”

Victoria hung up. _The day was going so well. Guess I’ll have to pick out a dress._

She picked out a nice lavender dress ( _made by Courtney!_ ), with a gold necklace and amethyst earrings. She also got out matching high heels. _I hate wearing these damn things, but I have to look good._

She set everything out and then ate a bagel for lunch. _I want to eat more, but I know there will be a ton of food at dinner. That’s one thing Father insists upon. “If your guest leaves hungry, you are a bad host, and they will remember it.”_

She relaxed for a few more hours, then exercised, and finally got cleaned up and dressed. Her parents were close by, in Denny Blaine, so it only took fifteen minutes to drive over. A large car she didn’t recognize was parked in the driveway. _I guess the Coburns are already here._

The house was very big, veering on mansion territory. Victoria’s childhood was spent there, and it brought back a lot of memories. _Too bad I only saw my parents once in a while. They were far too concerned with work._

She parked and walked up to the main door. As she approached, it opened, revealing an older woman in a dark blue dress.

“Hi, Cathy! It’s good to see you!” _She’s more of a mother to me than Mother is._

Cathy smiled, “You, too, Victoria! It’s been two months! Have you been hiding from me?”

Victoria laughed, “No, there’s just too much work. I have to travel a lot lately. I guess that’s the curse of being mildly famous.”

Cathy rolled her eyes. “You’re just like your parents, I see.”

_Ack! No way! Oh, who am I kidding? I guess I really am. That’s fucking depressing._

“Low blow! It’s good to see you, though. Are you still doing well?”

“Other than my back, I’m just as good as I was when I was twenty!”

They both laughed again. “You’ve been complaining about your back since I was a little girl. It never slowed you down, though.”

Cathy shrugged. “Maybe a little more, these days. Anyway, let me take your coat. I have to make sure everyone has a drink.”

Victoria nodded, taking off her jacket and handing it over. “Lemonade for me, please.”

Cathy nodded, and walked off with the coat.

Father came around the corner, champagne in hand. _He’s smiling, so the dinner started off well._

“Victoria! You’re here! Fashionably late, though.”

“I’m actually right on time. Everyone else is just early.”

Father nodded, and tilted his head towards the living room. “Come in and meet our guests.”

Victoria followed him to the living room. There were several large couches and chairs, upon which were seated Mother, an older couple that had to be the Coburns, and Edward, their son. He stood up as she entered, straightening his jacket. He was tall, an obvious athlete, and had short brown hair and a beard. _He’s really handsome. I bet Courtney would melt._

He smiled and nodded, saying, “Hello. You must be Victoria. It’s nice to meet you.”

Victoria smiled back, saying, “That’s me! It’s nice to meet you, as well.”

He continued, “My name’s Ed. My parents dragged me here to try and get me married.”

Victoria burst out laughing. Both her parents and the Coburns looked shocked.

_Holy shit! I wish I could have said that so many times!_

“Well, it seems like we have something in common, at least.”

_I think Mother just had a stroke._

Father started laughing then, and Mr. Coburn joined in. Both Mother and Mrs. Coburn looked scandalized and unsure of what to do.

Ed smiled, “Great! You look wonderful, by the way.”

_Of course I do. I’m a Chase._

“Thank you. You are also very handsome.”

Mother stood up. “Well, I guess we should all go to the dining room now that everyone’s here.”

_Damn. She must be flustered. Usually she has a whole script worked out before we leave the living room._

Mother led them all to the dining room. Father sat at the head of the table with Mother to his right. Victoria sat to his left. Ed sat next to her. His mother took the seat across from him and his father the other end.

Cathy started bringing out plates with ham, potatoes, broccoli, and gravy. It looked and smelled delicious.

Ed said, “Wow! This is the kind of meal I could have every day!”

Mother nodded, saying, “Our chef is fantastic. His name is Jean. He’s from Nice in France. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Mr. Coburn said, “The food certainly looks good.”

_It looks like everyone has champagne except for me._

Mrs. Coburn bowed her head, saying, “Let’s pray.”

Both her husband and Ed were already in position. Father and Mother paused for just a second, before bowing their heads.

_This isn’t normal for the kind of guests they usually have over._

Victoria bowed her head, as well. Mrs. Coburn gave a short prayer thanking God for the food and for the health and happiness of everyone at the table.

_That’s really nice. Maybe Kate was right about that stuff._

They sat and ate for half an hour, making small talk. Father told a few stories about when he was a young photographer, roaming Europe. Mother and Mrs. Coburn quizzed Ed and Victoria on their lives. Cathy brought out apple pie and removed their empty plates.

Once the meal was over, they adjourned to the living room. After a few minutes, Victoria excused herself and went to the restroom. When she came back out, Ed was waiting for her.

He smiled, “It’s been a great night. I’m not sure about the whole marriage thing, but I’d definitely like to see you again.”

Victoria smiled, replying, “I’ve had fun. I don’t know about us dating, though. You’re a very nice guy, but not really my type. I’m sorry.”

Ed looked a little surprised, and even disappointed. “Damn. At least you let me know already. I’d have hated to go on several dates and you weren’t actually interested.”

Victoria nodded, “I’ve learned that it’s best to make things clear early, otherwise the guy gets way too invested. I’d rather not hurt your feelings like that.”

“Thanks for that. Well, I guess we can at least just hang out for the evening. No worries about dating, so it’s definitely less stressful for me.”

Victoria smiled, “Me too. I will say that I think you’ll make some girl really happy. I’ll see you back in the living room.”

Ed nodded, and then entered the bathroom. Victoria saw her mother give her a look when she came back alone. _Yes, Mother, I shot him down. Are you really surprised?_

After another hour of art talk, the Coburns got up to leave. As they went out the front door, Victoria saw their driver come out of the house’s side door to meet them. When their car pulled out onto the road, Mother turned to Victoria and asked, “So, I guess you weren’t interested in Edward? I thought for sure that you’d like him. He’s about as good of a catch as any girl could want.”

Victoria nodded, “He is a really nice guy. I’m sure he’ll be an amazing husband for the right girl.”

They went back in. As they entered the living room again, Father said, “Mary, I told you this wouldn’t work out.”

“Yes, I know, David. I don’t understand why. Edward is just about perfect for her.”

“Apparently not.”

He turned to Victoria, and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk about boys, even when you were a teenager. Is there something you’re not saying to us?”

Victoria’s jaw dropped. _Oh shit. Am I really that obvious? How did Father know? What will he do?_

Father nodded, saying, “That’s what I thought.”

Mother asked, “What? What’s going on?”

Father said, “Victoria. It’s okay. You can tell us.”

_Shit! Shit! Shit! Father knows! How? What do I do? Mother will freak out! Hell, she’ll probably call me a freak! How is this happening? It’s nothing like how I planned to tell them!_

Mother said, “Victoria, what’s going on?”

Victoria’s shoulders slumped. _Am I going to the executioner? I hope this doesn’t blow up in my face. I know I told Max that my parents wouldn’t do anything drastic, but I don’t actually know that. I was just hoping for it so, so much._

Victoria felt her father’s hand on her shoulder. He leaned in and said, “I suspected it for a while. Tonight just confirmed it. It’s alright.”

Victoria looked up, and felt wetness on her cheeks. _Why the fuck am I crying?_

She said, “Okay, I guess it’s time. It looks like you already figured it out, Father.”

He nodded, stepping back and putting an arm around Mother. She looked confused and worried.

Victoria continued, “Mother, I’m not really sure how to put this so that it won’t disturb you. I like girls. I mean that I really just want to date girls, and would love to marry one.”

Mother looked like she was about to fall down. Father gripped her tightly and walked her over to a couch, where they sat down.

Mother said, “How? I mean, I had no idea. Why didn’t you say something before? I spent so much time trying to find the perfect guy for you, but they were never good enough!”

_I know. I feel terrible about it, but I couldn’t tell you._

“That’s because I was scared to tell you. I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to think I’m some kind of weirdo.”

Both of her parents shook their heads. Father said, “It’s alright, Victoria. I wish you’d said something a long time ago. It would have saved me from so many of these dinners.”

Mother looked at him, and gave him a soft elbow in the stomach. “I had them for Victoria! I thought she was just shy!”

Father snorted, which Victoria had never heard him do before. _Wow. Is this what they are like when they are alone?_

Mother turned back to her, “You should have said something. Heck, the Morettis have a gay daughter that I could have introduced you to!”

_Whoa! That was fast! Mother, the super match-maker! But seriously, I can’t believe this has gone so well. I half thought they’d hate me._

Victoria held her hands up, “That’s really not necessary. Honestly, I’d rather it was just us getting together for actual, real family time, instead of these fake dinners.”

Mother replied, “They’re not fake! I worked hard to arrange all of this! I just wanted you to find someone you could love!”

Father laughed, “She did put a lot of work into these meals. You don’t know how many get-togethers we’ve had with people just arranging for you to meet their sons.”

_I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I never really thought about it that way._

Mother asked, “So, if you don’t want me to arrange any more dinners, does that mean you already have a girl in your life?”

_Damn it. She’s way too quick to pick up on that already._

Victoria shrugged, “Not really, but I did just start seeing a girl I really like.”

They spent another hour just talking about Max, other girls Victoria had dated in the past, and even some of her recent photography work. Victoria also got really embarrassed when Mother brought up in vitro fertilization, so that she could be a grandmother. Finally, Victoria stood up, yawning. Cathy was there a second later.

Cathy asked, “Would you like to stay over, or go back home?”

“I think I’ll stay here tonight, if that’s okay?”

Her parents happily agreed. Victoria headed upstairs to her bedroom, which was still set up as if she lived here. She even had half a wardrobe’s worth of clothes still in the closet.

_This turned out so much better than I could have ever hoped. Heck, I think that’s the longest conversation I’ve ever had with my parents. I can’t believe it was actually that easy. I’m so happy!_

She slept soundly that night.


	17. Sunday at home

The next morning, Victoria woke up fairly early as she heard her parent’s cars leave the house. _Already going to work, this early on a Sunday. I hope I never get that tied up in my career._

She got up, showered and dressed, and headed downstairs. A nice breakfast was waiting for her. Cathy had made eggs, bacon, and toast. She also supplied coffee and orange juice. The two sat down at the table to eat. _Just like when I was little._

Cathy said, “Last night went very well. I’m glad you finally told them.”

“You act as if you knew about me.”

“I basically raised you. I knew a long, long time ago.”

“Wait. You did? You never said anything.”

“Because I knew you were scared to tell your parents. At first, I wasn’t sure how they’d react, either. I eventually realized they’d be okay with it, but since you rarely saw them, you never got a chance to figure it out for yourself. Of course, don’t ever tell your parents that I’ve known about your secret. I helped set up all of those little date dinners you went to. If your mother knew I’d known about your sexual preferences while doing so, she’d be furious.”

Victoria laughed, “Yeah, she’d blow a gasket. Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. Heck, I owe you, since you kept mine.”

Cathy smiled, saying, “Oh, really? I’ve always wanted to go on a trip to the Caribbean…”

They talked as they ate, enjoying each other’s company. After almost an hour, Victoria headed back upstairs as Cathy gathered their dishes. She saw her phone was blinking on the nightstand. She picked it up, seeing texts from Max, Taylor, and Courtney. All three of them were asking about the “hot date” arranged by her mother.

Shaking her head, she sent a group reply:

Victoria: Hot date cancelled. Also, I’m officially out of the closet with my parents. It went surprisingly well.

Replies came back very quickly.

Max: Yay! I’m glad to hear that! Well, at least that your parents were okay with you. Our hot date is still on for Monday, right?

_Oh, yes! Were you worried, Max?_

Courtney: Congrats! I told you they would be fine with it! At least now you won’t have to worry about hiding from them. Or those crazy dinner dates. I mean, who does that?

_You’re right, Courtney. I was too worried about it. You know my mother, though. She does that!_

Taylor: Good. It’s about time. You should have told them years ago, but no, you wouldn’t listen to me!

_I was wrong. You were right. Rub it in._

Victoria: Max, I will definitely be there. I’m driving back later today. Will work in the morning, then see you at six. I can’t wait!

Victoria: Courtney, thanks for cheering me on. Also, you know how my mother is. She’s in her own world when it comes to arranging a marriage for me.

Victoria: Taylor, just keep gloating. Don’t worry, I’ll get back at you! ;)

Max: Great! I’ve already got the reservations in! See you tomorrow, and have a safe drive today!

Taylor: Me, gloat? When the ever-so-perfect Victoria Chase admits I was right? You’re damn right I’m gloating! Lol!

Victoria: Max, sounds great! Thanks! I’ll drive safe!

Victoria: Taylor, you’re digging yourself a deeper hole!

Courtney: Thanks, Victoria! I bet she’s already asking around to see who has a daughter that would like to date you!

Victoria: She was all over that, within minutes of finding out that I’m gay. It was kind of scary. She even had a prospective girl ready to go.

Courtney: Lol! I’m not surprised one bit! I’m happy for you, though. I’m glad they were nice about it. I’ve definitely heard some horror stories from some girls I know down here in LA.

Victoria: Me, too. I was really nervous. Father figured it out on his own. I had to tell Mother. That freaked me out. They were both really nice about it, though.

After that, she went back downstairs, said goodbye to Cathy and Jean, and drove back over to her house.

She spent about five hours working on the photos she’d taken in Portland, sending out a large batch to Shanna when she got tired. Then she made a small lunch of broccoli and cheese and some noodles. After she finished eating, she re-packed all of her stuff back into her car, and drove south to Portland. After an uneventful trip, she was back at the Curio hotel.

She got a new room, unpacked, and worked for another hour on some more pictures. Finally, she closed her laptop and went to sleep.


	18. The Actual Real First Date

Victoria woke to her alarm going off at 4:00. _Ugh. I seriously hate having to be on site for the sunrise._

She got dressed and gathered all of her gear. She picked up some coffee and a cream cheese bagel in the lobby, and then drove out to the boat yard. _Technically, I shouldn’t be here today. I really only had permission for last week. Oh, well. I doubt anyone would actually care._

She parked her car and got all of her camera gear ready. She already knew where she wanted to be for the sunrise, so was ready to go when it started. _Some of these boats look gorgeous in this lighting, even though their paint is falling off and there’s rust everywhere. This is going to look great!_

She spent a solid six hours photographing the site, taking care to show how it used to be really busy but was now deserted. She took photos of the half-finished boats, the large shipping dock where trucks hauled away finished boats, several piers sticking out into the river, and a big construction building right by the piers which still had chains and old, rotting ropes hanging from the roof. _I kind of wish it would rain today. I did like that effect on the factory last week. Then again, I really don’t want to get sick again or have our date messed up._

She finally finished up and packed her gear. _This area is actually abandoned. I haven’t seen anyone today, other than some kayakers going down the river._

She drove back to her hotel and backed up all of her photos to her laptop, and put the extra memory card in the safe. _I still have a lot of time. Guess I’ll order some food and work on the photos._

She called down to the lobby and ordered a salad and some iced tea. Then she started sorting the photos from today. _I’ve got a lot of keepers for this site. It’s going to be tough to decide which ones are worth submitting to the magazine._

Room service delivered her food, and she ate as she picked out a bunch of photos for Shanna to work on. She emailed them around three.

She then spent thirty minutes answering work emails. Shanna replied and said she’d fix up the pictures tomorrow.

After that, Victoria took a shower, fixed her hair, and picked out a light green blouse with a dark green skirt, along with a pair of brown leather Miranda shoes. _Max said not to get too fancy. This should do._

Completing her outfit with a gold necklace, emerald earrings, and an overcoat, Victoria smiled at the mirror and headed out to her car. She drove carefully, and arrived at the strip mall ten minutes early. _Am I too early? Will she think I’m desperate? If I hadn’t planned out this outfit yesterday, I’d have taken longer to get ready. I have to wait. I don’t want her to feel rushed as she closes her store! I knew I should have driven around the block to kill more time!_

She sat there for a few minutes before she realized that the sign on the door already said “Closed”. Shaking her head, she got out of her car and went up to the door and looked in. Max was only a few feet away, and waved at her with a big smile. Max walked over and let her in.

As Victoria stepped inside, Max smiled at her, and said, “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve already got everything shut down, so we can head out soon. You look really nice, by the way.”

Max was wearing a red dress, with black flats. She had a gold necklace on, though she wasn’t wearing any earrings. _She looks amazing._

“Thanks! You look great, yourself! Courtney made this blouse. I really like it!”

“Thanks! I didn’t know that Courtney designs clothes. That’s pretty cool!”

“Yes, she does it in her off time. She even has a website. I’m hoping she’ll make it big one day.”

Max smiled, “Me, too. I guess I’m not surprised that she’d be doing that. Does she have an online catalog?”

“Yeah, it’s called Vortex Fashion.”

Max’s eyebrows went up. “Really?”

Victoria started giggling, “Yes. I didn’t have the heart to say anything to her about it. You know how she was about the Vortex Club.”

Max started laughing, too. “Holy cow! I knew she was really into that stuff, but it’s been years since we were at Blackwell.”

“I know! She does love that school, though. She got to be a major trendsetter for a while, and I think she misses that.”

Max nodded, “Yeah, I could see that. She was one of the popular people. Sadly, the real world doesn’t care how cool you were in high school.”

Victoria agreed, “It’s probably better that way. Anyway, I’m looking forward to this restaurant! I’m hungry!”

Max smiled, “Let me get my coat. I’ll be back in a second.”

She went back into a room behind the sales counter and emerged seconds later with the same dark blue jacket she wore last week, when she visited Victoria at the hotel. Victoria walked outside, and Max locked up her store, setting an alarm code before closing the door behind her.

Victoria asked, “Am I driving, or are you?”

Max nodded towards a green Subaru Outback, “I’ll drive. Your car will be safe here. I don’t think there have ever been any serious criminal incidents around here. At least, not since I opened up my store.”

Victoria nodded, but made sure her car’s security system was turned on. They walked over to Max’s car. It was a few years old, and had definitely seen some use. _It’s clean, though._

They got in and Max started the car. Max looked at her sideways and said, “Wow. You really have changed. I can’t believe you got in my old car without making a fuss.”

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Yes, I figured you wouldn’t want any rude comments, though. It was really, really hard for me not to bust on you. I’m seriously struggling to control myself.”

Max grinned, and then put the car into gear and drove out of the lot. The restaurant was only ten minutes away.

It was a fairly standard-looking place with an antique sign labeled “Tony’s Ristorante”. The pair went inside, where they were greeted by a young girl in a red outfit. She led them to a table on one side of the main dining area. Each table had a couple electric candles, and there were a few small chandeliers hanging from the roof. There was a large wooden flag of Italy on the wall facing the entrance. Light Italian music was playing.

Victoria said, “It’s kind of dark in here. Very atmospheric, though.”

Max nodded, “Yeah, but I like it. You almost feel like you’re alone, even though there are probably forty other people eating right now.”

“True. Is there anything you’d recommend?”

“They have several types of linguine with different fish that are just great. Their lasagna is also amazing. I haven’t tried everything on the menu, though, but I think it’s safe to order anything they make.”

A waiter arrived. Max ordered a coke while Victoria ordered iced tea. He gave them menus, which they read over. After he came back with their drinks, Max ordered linguine with clams, while Victoria ordered manicotti.

Victoria asked, “How was your day at the store?”

“Pretty good. I sold a few cameras, fixed a guy’s camera, and sold a bunch of film. I love that film cameras are cool, again. A lot of younger kids are using them.”

“Really? I’m kind of surprised by that. Digital is so much easier.”

“In some ways, yes. Using a film camera means that you really have to think about the shot before you take it, though. You can’t just click out ten photos and only keep one.”

Victoria nodded, “True. I just thought most kids would be more interested in posting to social media.”

“A lot of them are. There are still a decent amount of people who actually think you can make a good living as a photographer, though.”

They both laughed at that.

_I’m really lucky. I bet if my parents didn’t have the Chase Space, I’d be stuck at some office job. I hate to admit it, but I could actually afford to learn the skills I needed because of them. Their connections in the industry certainly didn’t hurt, either._

Max asked, “How did your shoot go this morning?”

“It went really well. I got some great shots early on. It’s almost criminal how easy it is to make old boats look good during the golden hour.”

“Arr, ye will have to walk the plank, criminal scum!”

“Huh? Wait, you’re talking like a pirate?”

_Holy shit. How does she do that on a first date? Fucking Lamefield!_

Victoria snorted, and covered her mouth with her hand. Max laughed nervously at first, but then clearly after a few seconds.

Victoria waved her hand, “No more pirate talk allowed. I can’t believe you said that.”

Max sat there with a big grin, but didn’t say anything else. They heard someone approaching, and then the waiter was there with two large plates. He placed their food in front of them, and a dish with garlic bread to one side. They thanked him and he left.

The next half hour was spent eating, while they chatted about cameras and their work. Victoria was actually impressed with the food, and thanked Max for recommending the restaurant.

“How do you manage to find all of the great food places near you? Half the time I go out, I just get average stuff, even if the restaurant was recommended to me. The few really good places I like are not even close to my home or work in Seattle.”

Max shrugged, “One of my customers told me about this place, and I just got extremely lucky having Joe right next door to my work.”

“I’ll say. I’m really glad we came here. I’ll definitely be coming back the next time I’m in town.”

“That’s in a few weeks, right? Some model shoot?”

Victoria nodded, “You remembered. Yeah, though I don’t actually know much about it yet. Just that it’s in Portland. My assistant set it up.”

“Cool. I hope you’ll stop by then.”

“Definitely. I’m really glad I ran into you last week. This has been really fun.”

“Same for me. I can’t believe it’s been six years already. We certainly get along better now than back then.”

“I’ve grown up. You were already pretty cool. I was just acting like a spoiled kid. While it feels like lost time for us, I needed it, at least.”

Max shrugged, “I was a mess, too, just a different kind of mess. I would never have had the confidence to talk to you like this when I was younger.”

“Confidence is sexy. I like the new you.”

Max’s face got red, but she smiled, “Same to you, except you were sexy even at Blackwell.”

Victoria’s face also got red. _She thinks I’m sexy! She thought I was sexy even back then! Yes!_

“Umm, by the way. I loved that picture you sent blowing me a kiss.”

Max looked down, clearly nervous. “I wasn’t sure I should have sent that. I hope it wasn’t too forward.”

_No way! I will keep that picture for the rest of my life! You are so beautiful!_

“Not at all. I wish I’d sent you a similar picture back. I should have, now that I think about it.”

“That would be nice.”

_She wants a picture of me blowing her a kiss! I want to kiss her right now!_

The waiter arrived with their check. Victoria paid it and gave him a good tip.

_Horrible timing! I guess we have been sitting here for a while not eating, though._

They finally got up, put on their coats, and went back to Max’s car. She drove them back to her store. _She’s been quiet the whole trip. Should I ask her if we can go back to her place? It’s only our first date! It’s too soon! I want to get in bed with her, though! Damn it!_

They parked by Victoria’s car, and got out. Max walked over to Victoria.

Max said, “I had a great time tonight.”

“Me, too.”

Max leaned in and hugged Victoria tightly. She didn’t look up for a kiss, though.

_She’s just saying that! She doesn’t want to kiss me! I’m not good enough for her!_

After a few seconds, Max stepped back. She said, “I really want to see you again. I know you have to go back to Seattle tomorrow.”

“Unfortunately. Isn’t there anything else we can do tonight?”

Max shook her head, “I do have to open my shop in the morning. I don’t want to go too far, too fast. This past week has been great. You’re coming back in a few weeks, so I don’t want to do anything I regret later. I’m sorry if I disappointed you.”

“No, it’s fine! I’m just not used to girls who aren’t looking for a one night stand. Not that I would ever think of you that way! I want this to go right, even if that takes longer.”

Max smiled at her, but still looked sad.

Victoria said, “Seriously, I will keep in contact with you until I come back. I really like you. Don’t blame yourself if you want to go slow. I can wait.”

“Okay. I just feel like I got your hopes up and now I’m sending you off with nothing.”

“No! Absolutely not! I’m happy to wait for you. I loved our date, and I want to do it again.”

Max smiled wider, and nodded, “Okay. I’m glad. Please call me when you get home tomorrow, so that I know you’re safe.”

“I will. Umm, I guess I’ll head back to the hotel now. I’ll call you tomorrow, for sure. Good night, Max.”

“Good night, Victoria.”

Victoria got back in her car and drove out of the lot. She saw that Max was watching her go. The drive to the hotel took seemed to take forever.

_I fucked up somehow. I shouldn’t have asked her to do anything else. I probably scared her away. Damn it! Way to go, Victoria._

She lay in bed for several hours rethinking the entire date before she finally fell asleep.


	19. Chatting about her date

The next morning, Victoria got up, showered, and had some breakfast.

She hopped online and opened her chat channel. She sent a quick text to Courtney and Taylor to let them know she was on. Taylor popped in a minute later.

“Hi, Taylor! Good morning!”

“Hi, Victoria. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good. I had my first real date with Max, last night.”

Taylor laughed at Victoria’s happily grinning face. Courtney popped in just then.

“Hey girlfriends! Good to see you, though it’s way too early in the morning!”

They laughed, and greeted Courtney back.

Taylor said, “Victoria was just telling me she had her first big date with Max last night!”

Courtney smiled, “I thought it was then! I’m guessing it went well, considering Victoria’s face.”

Victoria nodded, “It was pretty good. We had some amazing Italian food. Max looked great.”

Taylor said, “So, did you do anything _really_ fun to end the night?”

Victoria looked down, and her friends immediately stopped talking. “I think I might have scared her off. I mean, she did say she wanted to see me again, but she avoided kissing me at the end of the date. She just hugged me, but I just couldn’t let it be at that.”

Taylor said, “Please, tell me you didn’t grope her or something.”

“No! I’d never do that! I did ask her if she wanted to do anything else, even after she avoided the kiss. I knew I shouldn’t do it even as I said it. I don’t know why I did it.”

Taylor shrugged, “You never had a lot of self control. If all you did was ask her that, I’m sure she’s not angry. She didn’t say anything mean to you, did she?”

“No. If anything, she was apologizing to me because she didn’t want to go too fast. I just couldn’t stop myself from trying, though.”

Courtney nodded, “I think you’re okay, then. It sounds like Max is even more worried than you are. I bet she doesn’t have a ton of experience dating, and she was scared that you would think she’s lame.”

Taylor nodded.

Victoria said, “I don’t think she’s lame. Well, maybe some of her jokes are, but Max is great!”

Courtney replied, “We know you think that, but I bet Max doesn’t.”

Taylor said, “She did say she wanted to see you again, so stop worrying. I swear, you make me nervous, and I’m not even there.”

Courtney nodded, “True. You don’t usually get this worked up over a girl, but I guess Max is different.”

_She’s fantastic. Funny, beautiful, talented. Of course she’s different. I think she actually wants to get to know me, and not just be a fling. I don’t know how to handle this!_

Victoria smiled, “You’re probably right. I wish I didn’t get so damn flustered over her. I hope she doesn’t think I don’t like her. I mean, I’ve told her a bunch of times that I do. I don’t think I went overboard on that.”

Her friends started laughing. _Ha ha. Very funny. Make fun of the girl who is nervous about her first big crush maybe actually liking her back._

Courtney said, “I think you’re going to be fine, Victoria. Max was never super confident, so I’m sure she’s just being cautious.”

Taylor agreed, “Yep. Knowing Max, she’s probably waiting for you to turn into super bitch rich girl who’s just playing a prank on her.”

“I wouldn’t do that!” _Well, I might have back at Blackwell, but not now!_

“We know. I’m sure she does too, deep down. I mean, you already know she wants to see you again. Be happy!”

Victoria smiled, even bigger. “You’re right. I’m not sure why I worry so much. I’m sure this will all work out.”

They spent another ten minutes just talking about their lives before Victoria said her goodbyes.

Then she packed all of her clothes and gear up. _Well, back to Seattle. For the first time in years, I’d rather not rush home. Imagine if I had a home down here, and Max was living with me. That would be so awesome!_

Once she had everything ready, she got help loading her car. Then she checked out, and started driving. North of Portland, it started raining. _Of course it would rain. I swear it rains every other day around here._

The rain started getting really heavy as she neared the bridge to Washington. Then she saw numerous brake lights flashing on in front of her. _Damn it._

Victoria started applying her brakes, slowing down carefully. Then she heard loud screeching behind her and looked into the mirror. It was filled with the grill of a truck. _Oh fuck!_

Everything went black.


	20. A choice

Victoria was confused. She heard some kind of loud saw. Then she blinked and some men were kneeling over her, and something was covering her mouth. She tried to grab it but they held her arms and were saying something she couldn’t understand. Her legs hurt. _What the hell is going on?_

She blinked again and she was lying down on her back, rolling along, with what appeared to be nurses above her. It was very bright. _Am I in a hospital?_

Max waved at her. She was smiling, sitting out on the porch as Victoria walked up to their home. She was wearing a cute yellow sun dress, along with sandals. _She’s so pretty! How am I so lucky to have her?_

Max asked, “How was work? Did you take any really cool shots?”

“Of course! I’m not one of the most sought-after photographers in the world for no reason!”

Max laughed, got up and ran to her. They kissed, standing in the grass. The sun felt warm on her shoulders. Victoria stepped back, smiling, after a few seconds. A light breeze ruffled Max’s hair.

Max said, “I baked us some brownies. I know it’s been a while since we’ve had them, and I know you love them!”

“Not as much as I love you!”

“Tease!”

They laughed and walked into the house, Max lightly pulling on Victoria’s hand. It smelled wonderful. Max brought out a covered plate, and picked up the lid, “Ta da!”

It was covered in gooey, brown, gorgeous brownies. Victoria did a little fist pump, “Yes!”

She picked out a big one. It was still warm. Smiling happily, she took a big bite. It was delicious. “I’m going to have a chocolate overdose! These are so good! I didn’t know you could bake like this, Max!”

Max smiled, “I can if it makes you happy!”

“Have some yourself!”

Max did just that. They each ate several more, until Victoria just couldn’t take it. _It’s too rich! I don’t want to stop. They’re so good!_

Max smiled and walked over to her, placing her arms around Victoria’s neck. She pulled Victoria down, saying, “I bet kisses taste even better with chocolate.”

Victoria tested that theory immediately. They stood there for what seemed like forever, kissing softly. Victoria’s hands roamed a little bit, and Max giggled.

Victoria felt Max’s hands start to roam over her body, as well. Smiling, Max stepped back. “Let’s go up to our room.”

They quickly made their way upstairs, and entered their bedroom. Max pulled her over to the king-sized bed, still smiling.

_This isn’t right. Something’s wrong._

Victoria paused, frowning. Max immediately froze.

Max asked, “Did I do something wrong? I thought you would love this.”

Victoria shook her head, “I do love this. It’s perfect. I mean, it’s _too_ perfect.”

“It should be. You deserve it. You’re a good person.”

Victoria shook her head, “Then you really don’t know me. I’ve done horrible things to people, that I still regret. I don’t deserve to have anything this nice.”

“That’s not right! You asked forgiveness from those you wronged, and they gave it. The only person who hasn’t forgiven you is yourself. It’s not your fault. You do deserve happiness.”

“Bullshit. Kate almost killed herself because of me. Max had a mental breakdown because I helped Nathan. I threw myself at Jefferson every day after class, and he was just pure evil.”

Max shrugged, “You’ve done a lot of good to counteract it. You’ve repented, knowing what you did was wrong. You’ve earned the right to be happy.”

_Yeah, something is really, really wrong._

Victoria crossed her arms, frowning, and said, “Who are you? You’re certainly not Max, and this is certainly not our house.”

Max shrugged, “Well, I guess you could say I’m here to reward you for being a good person in your life. This was going to be it.”

Victoria cocked an eyebrow, “What does that mean?” _Oh fuck, I hope it doesn’t mean what I think it means. I’m too young!_

Max smiled, sitting down on the bed. She patted the bed beside her. Victoria dropped her arms, then walked over and sat on the bed next to Max.

Max looked at her, and said, “You were hit by a truck. Right now, your body is in a coma. I’m here to see that you get the afterlife you deserve.”

_Wait! Fuck! This isn’t real! What the fuck? It can’t be!_

“Is it really bad? There’s no chance I can go back?”

Max asked, “Do you want to go back? You can stay here, if you like.”

“I want to go back! I want a real chance with Max! I want to hang out with Taylor and Courtney again! Heck, I even want to see my parents again!”

“Your body isn’t in the best of shape.”

_Oh._

“Is it really bad?”

“It’s not good. Your life will definitely be a lot different if you go back.”

Victoria swallowed. _Everything was going so well. Some idiot was going too fast in the rain and now I have to pay for their mistake? This isn’t fair!_

Max put her hand on Victoria’s thigh. She asked, “If you stay here, you will meet your friends and family again, although it may be a while. Are you sure you want to go back? It’s your choice.”

Victoria felt tears in her eyes. She nodded.

Max and their home faded away. She heard a steady beeping noise, which started to increase in rate. Voices started shouting around her. She couldn’t see anything except soft blurry movement.

_It hurts! Oh fuck, it hurts so much!_


	21. Bad News

A bunch of people in white coats were around her, taking readings. One guy shined a light into her eyes, which made her flinch and turn her head. She tried to move her arm up but it wouldn’t budge. Looking down as best she could, she saw that it was in a cast. Her whole body hurt.

A balding man with glasses spoke to her, “Hello, Victoria. I’m Doctor Russo. Do you understand me?”

Victoria said, “Yassssssshhh.”

Then she just nodded. _I can’t speak right._

He nodded, “Good. You’re in the hospital. You were in a motor vehicle accident. You’ve been in a coma for two days. I’m happy to see you awake.”

_A coma? That wasn’t a dream?_

“Are you in any pain?”

She nodded yes. _My feet are killing me. My chest feels tight. My arm is throbbing. I have a massive headache._

“Okay, we’ll increase your dosage.”

He nodded to a nurse, saying some kind of numbers, who then did something to a tube hanging beside Victoria’s bed.

“Your parents are just outside, as are a few of your friends. Once we’re done talking, I’ll let them in.”

_Good. I’m surprised my parents are here. It must be bad._

She nodded, so he continued. She already felt a cool wave coming up through her arm, reducing the burning sensations as it went.

“You suffered a number of injuries. In layman’s terms, your right arm had multiple compound fractures. We were able to save it, but there was a lot of damage. You will only retain partial use of it, after you complete physical therapy.”

“Uuuuurrrrrr?”

Victoria’s eyes got huge. _How can I operate a camera if my arm doesn’t work? What the fuck am I going to do? I guess I’m going to have to learn how to use it left handed? Do they even make left-handed cameras? This is fucking horrible!_

The doctor frowned, then sighed. “There’s more. When your car was hit, your pelvis and both femurs were also broken in multiple places. Fortunately, your spine was okay. Still, you are going to have trouble walking for the rest of your life. With luck, you will only need a cane.”

Victoria just sat there, silent, staring at the doctor.

He noticed her look, and said, “If you don’t take your physical therapy seriously, or things just don’t work out right, you may have to be in a wheelchair.”

Tears filled her eyes. _My God, I’m going to be limping terribly if I’m lucky? I’ll be stuck in a wheelchair forever if I’m not? How is this happening? I mean, I was just driving home. I even drove safely. He must be lying._

She tried to sit up and see her legs. Several sets of hands immediately pushed her back onto the bed. Her ribs screamed in pain. _They’re probably broken, too._

She screamed. She didn’t even realize she was doing it. She heard a door slamming open and running feet. The doctor stepped forward, attempting to calm her. Her father appeared beside him, and quickly took her left hand. Her mother came around the other side, and lightly put her hand on Victoria’s shoulder.

Her father said, “Victoria. We’re here for you. We’ll help you. I know it looks really bad right now, but Doctor Russo is one of the best doctors in the world. You can beat this.”

Her mother smiled at her, even as she was crying. “We love you, Victoria. I know we weren’t around much to show it, but we’ll do anything we can to help you.”

Victoria slumped back. She just felt tired. _This sucks. Holy shit, I’m a cripple. I was going to be a great photographer. My fucking life is over._

She watched as the doctor and most of the nurses left the room. Her parents stayed with her, talking to her, though she was only slightly paying attention to them.

The door opened again and Cathy, Taylor, and Courtney entered the room. _Wow, I’m surprised they came all the way up here on such short notice. Heck, how could Courtney afford it? I have to get Father to pay for her trip, even if it pisses her off. I hope Taylor has someone to watch Adam._

She watched her friends come over. It was obvious that all three of them were really worried. _They’re all crying. Damn it, I hate this. I don’t want any of them to cry because of me._

She gave her friends a smile, and said, “Haaayyy, guurlllssss.”

_Okay, no more talking. I sound like I’m high on some crazy drugs. Well, I probably am, but still._

Cathy wiped her eyes and said, “I’m glad you’re awake, Victoria. You had us all really scared.”

Victoria nodded, so Cathy continued, “I just want you to know that we’ll do anything we can to help you. I hate that this happened to you.”

Cathy started crying harder, and stopped talking. She then turned and said, “I’ll wait outside for now. You don’t need to see me crying like this. Just know that I love you.”

_You were basically my mom._

Victoria said, “Sssshhtttaaayyyy.” _You belong here._

Cathy turned, nodding, and walked over to stand by her mother.

Taylor and Courtney walked over to the foot of the bed. _Don’t look at my legs! They must be awful!_

Taylor said, “I’m glad you woke up. The doctor had told us that a lot of coma patients never do. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you telling me about what’s going on in your life. My life is so boring compared to yours.”

Victoria smiled at her. _My stories are going to suck after this. What the hell am I going to do? Certainly not travel the world to meet models._

Courtney smiled, her face red and tears still rolling down her face. She said, “I’m so glad you’re still alive. You’re one of my best friends, and I can’t imagine how my life would be without you here.”

Victoria nodded to her, still smiling. _I wish I’d taken a few more trips to LA to hang out with you. You really are a great friend. Better than I deserved._

Taylor added, “Just so you know, Max and Kate were here earlier. I’m sure they’ll be back as soon as they know you’re up. They’re both really worried about you.”

_Kate was here? Wow. I didn’t expect that. Wait. Max saw me like this? Oh no! I wanted a real chance with her. There’s no way in hell she’ll want to be with me now! Fuck! Maybe I should have just died._

The look on her face must have been bad, because everyone there started talking.

Cathy asked, “Are you alright?”

Her mother said, “Do we need the doctor?”

Her father said, “Nurse!”

The nurse came over, as Taylor said, “It’s okay, Max was just happy to see that you were alive. Don’t freak out.”

Courtney nodded, “She’s really worried about you, and I’m certain that she has a giant crush on you. Don’t put yourself down!”

_Easy for you to say! Look at me. I’m a mess._

The nurse said, “Alright, everyone. I think Ms. Chase needs a break. Could you all please step out of the room?”

After a bunch of goodbyes, Victoria was left lying there in her bed, her only companion a beeping monitor.

_This fucking sucks._

After a few minutes, she drifted off to sleep.


	22. Visitors

Victoria was woken up several times during the night by nurses who took readings from the equipment hooked up to her, and who asked her if she was feeling any possible side effects from her injuries. By the time morning came around, she was still tired and a little grumpy.

A nurse came in with a tray of food. She walked over to Victoria’s bed and then pressed a button that raised up her back. For the first time since she woke up from her coma, Victoria could see her legs. She looked under the blanket and saw that her hips all the way down to her knees were in a cast.

_Holy fuck, no wonder they didn’t want me to see that yesterday. I would have freaked out even more than I did._

While she was staring at her legs, the nurse pulled over the bed’s built-in tray and put her food on it. Victoria immediately felt very hungry, and started eating right away.

_Apple sauce, apple juice, a couple eggs, and some toast. None of it very good. Blah._

As she finished up her meal, she heard a knock at her door. Then Cathy and Shanna came in. The nurse took her empty tray and left the room, after saying hello to her visitors.

Victoria smiled at them, and said, “Good morning.”

_Hey! I didn’t slur my words!_

Cathy replied, “Good morning, Victoria! You look much better today! I’m so happy!”

Shanna said, “Hi, Vicky. I just got here last night. I’m glad you’re up and still kicking!”

“Thanks, both of you. It’s great to see you.” _I am not going to be kicking anything ever again._

Her visitors came over and sat down in chairs beside her bed. Cathy started talking, while Shanna got a laptop and a phone out of her bag.

Cathy said, “Your parents had to leave for work last night. They were really happy to see you wake up yesterday.”

_Of course. I’m honestly surprised they were still here when I woke up._

Victoria rolled her eyes, and Cathy quickly said, “Victoria! You should be happy that you have them. They made sure you have a fantastic doctor, and a private room. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but without Doctor Russo you would have lost your arm and wouldn’t even have a chance at walking again. He was in the operating room with you for almost twelve hours. You really do owe him for even being alive right now.”

_Damn. I didn’t realize it was that bad. Well, I guess I did, but it feels weird hearing Cathy say it._

“Okay, I’m sorry. It was strange having them here being so nice to me.”

Cathy shrugged, saying, “I admit that they do work too much, but without them, your experience right now would be much worse. Enough of that, though. You seem to be a lot more awake today. Are you feeling much better?”

Victoria nodded, “I’m not in as much pain. I am kind of tired, but that’s because the nurses kept waking me up to check on me. I guess they have to, but it sucks.”

Her friends nodded, and Shanna said, “Yeah, I was in the hospital a few years ago. You probably won’t get a full night’s sleep for a while.”

Cathy added, “It’s for the best, though. You don’t want to have a complication in the middle of the night and no one knows about it.”

Victoria and Shanna both nodded at that. Victoria looked at the laptop Shanna was holding, and raised an eyebrow.

Shanna said, “I brought it for you. I know you’re going to be bored out of your mind in a couple days. I also have a new phone for you, with the same number you already use. Oh, the emergency crew at the accident did manage to save the drive with all of the photos you had taken, though most of your gear was pretty much trashed.”

“Even my new Leica?”

Shanna grimaced, and nodded. _Fuck. I didn’t even have it a week._

Shanna continued, “Your dad has an attorney at the office. You’d be amazed how many journalists who cover photography have called in the last few days. He’s been handling all of their questions.”

_Wow. I never even thought about that. I guess I am pretty famous, though._

Victoria nodded, and smiled.

Shanna continued, “I realize that you might have some trouble editing, so I started working on the photos you haven’t already finished. They’re on here, so please let me know what you think.”

With that, she carefully handed over the laptop where Victoria could use it. _I never even thought about that. I probably can’t even run photoshop without my right hand, or at least not good enough for professional work. Damn it!_

Victoria said, “If you two don’t mind, can I take a few minutes just to check the work? I know it’s due soon.”

Her friends nodded, and quietly sat back in their chairs. Victoria quickly went to the PNW folder and opened it. She saw a new folder marked Shanna’s Edits. She opened it and started looking through the pictures.

After a few minutes, she smiled and looked at Shanna, “Most of these are really good. I do have a couple things you could fix on some of them, but I’d say most are ready to go.”

They spent some time going over her suggestions, and Shanna used the laptop to write herself an email about it.

While Shanna was doing that, Cathy said, “It’s really nice seeing you jump right into work like that. I was worried that you might not be able to do that kind of work for a while.”

Victoria shrugged, “That’s me. I at least want to make sure this job is finished correctly. Oh, right. Shanna, what about my upcoming schedule?”

Shanna replied, “I’ve cancelled everything for the next few months. Honestly, that cleared you up for the year.”

“Thanks, though it really does suck.”

Shanna hesitated; then added, “Vicky, I hate to say this, but once this last magazine job is finished, what am I supposed to do? I mean, we have maybe a week’s worth of work left. With your injuries…”

Victoria frowned. _Crap. Shanna depends on me. She won’t have a fucking job if I can’t work, and it’s obvious I’m off the scene for months, at least._

“I’ll talk to my father. He might have a position for you at the Chase Space. If nothing else, I will give you the best damn recommendation possible if you want to work for someone else. You’ve been a great assistant. I’ll also make sure you get paid until you can find something else.”

Shanna smiled at that, but still looked sad. She said, “Thanks. I really like working for you. I feel terrible for even bringing this up, right now.”

“It’s okay. You have to take care of yourself. I certainly liked working with you.”

Cathy said, “Wow, you’ve really matured, Victoria. I’m proud of you.”

A warm glow spread throughout Victoria’s chest. She said, “Thanks, Cathy. I really appreciate you saying that.”

They spent another hour visiting, before they got up to leave. They told Victoria they’d both be heading back to Seattle, and would keep in touch.

_I’m so glad they visited me. This day is so much better now._

Maybe ten minutes later, there was another knock and Taylor and Courtney came in.


	23. Taylor and Courtney visit

Victoria perked up, smiling, and said, “Hi girlfriends! It’s great to see you!”

Taylor and Courtney smiled back, obviously thrilled at her response.

Taylor said, “Hi, Victoria! You seem much better today!”

Courtney agreed, adding, “Yeah, it’s great to see you smiling for real again!”

Victoria shrugged, “I mean, I guess I do feel a little better. Seeing you definitely helps.”

Her friends nodded. Then Taylor brought up a bag and waved it at Victoria. She said, “Guess what I brought you? Real food!”

“Yes! You are my hero!”

Her friends came over to her bed, and Taylor pulled out a container and put it on Victoria’s tray. It had a sausage muffin sandwich, tater tots, and some bacon on the side. Victoria wasted no time, grabbing the sandwich and taking a bite.

_It’s so good! I needed this! Why is the hospital’s food so bland?_

Her friends both laughed. Taylor said, “I remember how bad the food was when we visited my mother in the hospital. I expect this place is no better.”

Victoria nodded her agreement, and took another bite. Courtney found an empty cup, filled it with water, and brought it over. Victoria set her sandwich down, grabbed the cup, and took a sip. Her friends both sat down in the chairs on the left side of her bed, smiling.

“Ugh, trying to eat with only one hand really sucks.”

_Oops. I don’t want to upset them. I have to act positive!_

“I mean, I guess I have to get used to it. It’s just different. I’m really glad you both came today. I really love this food! How are you two doing?”

They chatted for a while about Taylor’s husband and little boy, and about Courtney’s job, while Victoria finished her meal. Then Taylor asked, “Did the doctor tell you what to expect? He didn’t really say much to us. I know he told your parents, but they didn’t fill us in.”

Courtney nodded, looking worried.

Victoria grimaced, looking down. _Fuck. Well, there goes being positive. I hate even thinking about this._

“Well, it’s not good. I really don’t want to worry you guys, though.”

Courtney reached out and held her hand, “It’s okay, Victoria. We want to know. We’re going to support you, no matter what.”

Taylor added, “Yeah, don’t worry about that. If anything, not knowing is scarier than if you tell us what the diagnosis really is.”

Victoria sighed, and closed her eyes. _Oh well, they deserve to know the truth. I wish it was better._

“You see my arm, here? Apparently, the only reason I still have it is that my doctor is really good.”

Her friends gasped. Courtney tightened her grip on Victoria’s hand, and Taylor leaned in and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Even so, I’m only going to get partial use out of it even after therapy. I suspect that’s code for ‘it’s going to be nearly useless’.”

Courtney said, “Don’t be so negative! Maybe it won’t be too bad.”

Victoria smiled at her, and blinked. _Damn it! I’m crying again. When did I turn into such a crybaby?_

She continued, “Then there are my legs. If I’m lucky, I’ll only need a cane to walk for the rest of my life. If I’m not, I’ll be in a wheelchair.”

_Shit, how will I use a camera if I only have one good arm, and it’s holding me up with a cane? I won’t be able to carry anything! I never even thought of that!_

Victoria’s head fell back onto the pillow, her eyes staring at the ceiling.

Taylor asked, “Victoria?”

“I can’t be a photographer anymore. I won’t be able to move around and take pictures. What the hell am I going to do?”

She heard sniffling, and looked over. Courtney was crying, although she was trying to hide it. Taylor just looked sad.

_They know it’s true. My life is over. The only thing I’m even good at is taking pictures, and now I won’t be able to do that. Hell, I can’t even use photoshop if I’m stuck with just my left hand. I’m not even going to be useful as an assistant to someone else. Seriously, I don’t even know what I’m going to do after I get out of this fucking hospital. What are my choices? Walmart greeter? I want to fucking die._

Victoria turned her head away from her friends, and just started crying. Her shoulders shook, and that made her ribs hurt a lot, and she just cried harder.

_I’m fucking useless now. A total failure. I knew I wasn’t good enough._

Taylor took her chin and turned her head towards them. She said, “Victoria, snap out of it! You are a great person! You’ll find something to do. I know you. This is just a setback that you will work around.”

Courtney nodded, “Yeah! If there’s anyone who can figure out what to do, it’s you! Don’t be too hard on yourself. It will just take time.”

_Easy for you two to say. You’re not the one stuck in a worthless body._

Taylor shook her head. She said, “I know you think we’re full of shit, but don’t give up on yourself. If I even think you are, I’ll kick you in the ass.”

Victoria started laughing, even through her tears. _Of course, Taylor would say that. Hell, she probably would actually do it. I love her so much._

Courtney smiled, and said, “I’ll help you any way I can, even if it’s just as a cheerleader. I know you will work through this and come out even better than before.”

“I don’t deserve you two. You’re the best friends ever.”

Taylor said, “You’re damn right, we are. You helped me out when my life was going to shit, and I’m not going to stand by while you’re having problems.”

Courtney nodded, “Me, too!”

“Okay! Okay! Sorry for getting so sad. You two being here is really great. I needed this.”

Her friends nodded.

“Speaking of you being here, don’t get angry but I’m going to make sure your stays are paid for. Hell, my father can afford it.”

Taylor and Courtney laughed, and Courtney said, “Don’t worry. Your father already forced us to allow him to pay for our trips and hotel rooms. He wouldn’t listen when we said no.”

“Really? Wow, I’m surprised, but also really happy about that.”

Taylor nodded, “Yeah, he cornered us the first day we were all here. He can be very persuasive when he wants to be.”

“So he gave you no option to refuse?”

Her friends both nodded, and then started laughing. Courtney said, “He was almost offended when I said no. Same for Taylor. It was kind of funny. I certainly didn’t expect it.”

Taylor nodded, “Me, either. I can afford this trip easily, but he wouldn’t even listen to me. I don’t know what’s going on, but he’s seriously mellowed out in the last few years.”

_Huh. I’m really glad to hear that. I’m also happy I don’t have to argue with them about it, either. I’m kind of tired._

Victoria yawned. Her friends looked at her, and Taylor said, “I’m guess you’re getting tired. I hope you keep getting better. We’ll stop back in later.”

Victoria waved her hand, and said, “Wait! Have you guys seen Max? Or Kate, even?”

They nodded, and Courtney said, “They came back later yesterday, but you were asleep. Max is running her store right now, and Kate’s helping her.”

“Oh, okay. I guess that makes sense. I’ll see you guys later.”

Victoria fell asleep.


	24. Max and Kate visit

Around an hour later, a nurse woke her up to give her lunch. Victoria ate it, but was not impressed. She also had to experience her bedpan being changed and getting cleaned up. She knew they’d done it before, but she hadn’t been awake at the time. She hated every second of it.

_This is so fucking embarrassing. I know the nurse probably does this for hundreds of people, but I just feel gross._

She fell back to sleep.

She woke to the sound of two people talking. She was still woozy, and they didn’t realize that she could hear them.

“Victoria looks so frail. Look at those casts, too. I feel terrible for her.”

“I know. I wish there was something we could do for her. Things were going so well, even though I kind of botched the end of our date.”

_That’s Max! Is Kate with her?_

“Max! I already told you that it was okay. Even Victoria told you so, remember?”

_Max told her about our date? She shouldn’t be worried about me being upset!_

“I know, but it was obvious she wanted more.”

_I’m just really happy you’re willing to be here now. I’m certainly no catch anymore._

Victoria made a show of yawning, and turned her head towards them, so that they would think she just woke up. They both looked at her, obviously worried.

Max crossed her left arm over to her right elbow, and looked nervous but also sad. Kate sat there, and gave Victoria a big smile, “Good evening, Victoria!”

“Hi Kate, Max”

Max smiled, and said, “Hi, Victoria. It’s great to see you awake and talking again.”

Victoria felt her face heating up. _She still wants to talk to me. I wish I didn’t look like this._

She smiled at them and said, “I feel like all I do is sleep. I wonder if it’s the drugs they’ve got me on?”

She waved at the tubes and bottles hanging around her bed.

Kate and Max nodded. Kate said, “Probably. Also, your body heals when you sleep, so it’s a natural reaction.”

Max added, “You probably need it. I’m just really happy you’re still here. When I heard the news, I kind of panicked. I called Kate to talk about it and she ended up flying here the next morning.”

_You panicked because I was hurt? Wow. Kate flew out right away? Was it for you or me?_

“I’m happy to be here, though not really in one piece anymore. I’m honestly a bit surprised you’re here, Kate.”

Kate shrugged, and said, “Max has been my best friend for years. I’m also worried about you. I’m really happy you’re still alive.”

_That’s what I thought. Still, if anyone deserves to see me suffer, it’s Kate._

“It’ll take more than a stupid truck driver to stop me.”

Victoria gave them a big smile.

_A really fucking fake smile, but I’m not going to make Max worry._

Max smiled sadly, failing to pretend that Victoria was funny. She said, “Victoria, it’s okay. Taylor and Courtney filled us in on what the doctor said. I just wish I could make the whole accident go away. Sadly, it didn’t work out anywhere near as well as I’d hoped.”

_Huh?_

The look on her face must have alerted Max, who quickly added, “Umm, what I meant is that I just daydreamed about saving you somehow, but it always ended terribly, even worse than this. I don’t know. I guess that doesn’t make any sense.”

_No, it really doesn’t. Then again, I might do the same thing for you. Just wishing I could save you even though I know I couldn’t, because I’m me._

Kate said, “We’re hoping that your rehab will go well, and that you’ll be back to your old self. I know it will be hard, but I’m praying for you.”

“Thanks, Kate. Honestly, I’m starting to think you’re right, that there is some kind of God up there watching over us. When I was in a coma, I had someone offer me an amazing afterlife. I didn’t take it, though, because I still wanted to be here. I don’t know if I was just dreaming, or if there really was some kind of angel watching over me.”

_Please don’t think I’m crazy._

Kate grinned, and replied, “That’s interesting! I’d love to talk about it more with you, once you’re feeling better.”

Max looked at Victoria with a surprised face. She said, “Wow! I never expected to hear that from you. I didn’t think you were the spiritual type.”

“Thanks. It definitely made me want to re-evaluate my life, though.”

Max blushed, and said, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“It’s okay, Max. I was obviously more interested in being famous than being a saint. My viewpoint’s different now that I’m never going to use a camera professionally again.”

_Shit! Why did I say that? I need to be positive!_

Kate said, “Don’t give up! You don’t know what can happen with therapy.”

Max said, “It might not be too bad. I believe in you.”

“Sorry. I’m just really worried about all of this. I let it slip out sometimes.”

Max nodded, “I know the feeling. We’re here for you, though. If you need any help, just ask.”

Kate added, “Definitely. You didn’t deserve for something like this to happen. If there’s any way we can help, we will. Just don’t give up.”

Victoria smiled, saying, “I’m really happy you two are here. It is nice to know people actually care.”

The sound of the door opening caused them all to look. Taylor and Courtney walked in, and waved.


	25. Hanging out with friends

Taylor said, “Well, I guess Victoria finally woke back up. I hope she wasn’t too grumpy!”

Max and Kate smiled back, and Max said, “No, she was just getting her beauty sleep.”

_Whoa! Was that Max attempting to flirt with me, even though I look terrible?_

Courtney laughed, and said, “Down, Max! Victoria needs recovery time before you jump her!”

Max and Victoria’s face both got beet red. Victoria turned her head away from the group, after giving Courtney a glare.

Taylor and Courtney started laughing, and Kate said, while giggling, “That wasn’t very nice, Courtney.”

Courtney shrugged, “I’m just saying Max is very interested in Victoria.”

Max ducked her head, and said, “Okay! Okay!”

Victoria rolled her eyes and turned her head back to face the group.

“Obviously, if I don’t say anything, Courtney will just keep going. I’m glad you’re worried about me, Max.”

Max looked up at her, still red-faced, and smiled, “I am. I just wish _someone_ wouldn’t go out of her way to embarrass us.”

Taylor and Courtney laughed harder at that, and even Kate started laughing.

_Ha. Ha. It’s so funny making fun of the newly dating couple._

Taylor stopped laughing after a few seconds, and said, “Well, at least we can stop avoiding the subject of you two dating now. I, for one, think you two will be great for one another.”

Courtney nodded, “Yes! Victoria will make Max get out of her shell and Max will keep Victoria grounded.”

“Wow, am I in some kind of romance novel or something? Could you two get any cheesier?”

Kate said, “They’re right, though. You two complement each other very well.”

Max said, “It’s gouda be hard doing anything with all of you watching us, although it’s nice that you support us.”

Victoria sighed, closing her eyes, as her friends all started laughing again.

_I guess bad jokes just come with the territory._

Victoria made a show of groaning and putting her arm over her face.

“Make the puns stop! Please!”

Max smiled, and said, “Okay, but only because you said please.”

Her friends kept snickering for another minute, and Victoria smiled. _I’m really happy they are all here. I just wish it was for a better reason._

Taylor said, “Hey, Max, would it be cool if me and Courtney stopped by your store tomorrow? Victoria told us about it, and I’d like to check it out.”

Max nodded yes and said, “Sure thing! It’s not that impressive, to be honest, but I know you liked photography. I guess you’ll like looking around.”

Taylor nodded, “Yep! I haven’t really done much with a camera lately, except take pictures of my family. Still, it will be cool to see all of the new stuff available.”

“You should buy a real camera, Taylor. I know you love using your phone, but you could get even better pictures with one.”

_I have a few I could give her. Well, I’ll ask her later if she doesn’t find one she likes at Max’s store._

Taylor shrugged and smiled at Victoria. She said, “You’re right. Of course, my phone is better than that old camera I had in school, so I just never bought a new one.”

Courtney said, “I’m going to look around, too! I’m not a photographer, but I’d get better pictures of my clothes. It might actually help my sales.”

_Okay, I’m definitely giving Courtney a camera. Her heart is in the right place, but she can’t afford to buy one. Why the heck didn’t I think of that years ago? I’m so damn selfish._

Kate said, “Max’s store is actually really nice. I’m sure you two will love looking around. I was tempted to buy a camera, and I don’t even need one.”

Victoria nodded, and said, “Yes, she does have a great selection. Taylor, she can also guide you to a camera you’ll actually use.”

Victoria saw Max look at her. _She noticed that._

Max turned back to Taylor and said, “I have a couple ideas already. I’m sure we can find you something nice.”

_Courtney is just standing there, smiling. Fuck, I know she hates this. You’d never know it to look at her, though._

“Hey, Courtney, before I forget, I saw that new dress you made last week. It looks amazing.”

Courtney looked at her, and nodded, “Yeah. I really like it. I’m half tempted to just keep it for myself.”

Kate asked, “You make clothes? I didn’t know that.”

Courtney nodded, and said, “Yeah, I have a small clothing line. I sell things online.”

She turned and looked at Victoria, “Mind if I use your laptop and show my stuff to Kate and Max?”

“Sure. I know they’ll love it.”

For the next hour, they looked through Courtney’s catalog, talking about the different dresses, skirts, and blouses. Kate and Max made fun of her calling it Vortex Fashion, but they did it so that even Courtney laughed about it. Kate actually ordered a matching green scarf and skirt while they were sitting there. Max ordered a light blue blouse.

_It’s the same blue as her eyes._

A little later, and a nurse came in and informed everyone that visiting hours were over. Her friends all said their goodbyes and wandered out of the room.

Victoria still felt wide awake.

She grabbed her new phone and sent a text to Courtney:

Victoria: Don’t feel like you have to buy a camera tomorrow. I’ll give you one of my old ones. Maybe mention this to Taylor, although I expect she’ll just buy one from Max anyway.

After a few minutes, she got a reply:

Courtney: That’s really nice of you! I feel bad, though.

Victoria: Don’t. I have a ton of cameras I don’t even use, that are still really good. I’m happy to give you one.

Courtney: Okay. You’re the best! Ciao!

Victoria: Take care.

_I guess I can actually do something constructive._

Her laptop was sitting on a table right by her bed, where she could easily reach it. She opened it and went to her emails. There were a few business emails, a few from people she knew in the industry asking how she was doing, and one from Shanna.

She opened that one up.

[Vicky, I’ve gone through all of the photos you had. I made the changes you suggested when I was there at the hospital. They’re on our server so you can download them and let me know what you think. I hope you’re feeling better! Shanna]

She went to the Chase Photography website and logged in. She found all of the pictures on their private server and downloaded them to her laptop. She then spent four hours just going through them all. She made notes on changes she wanted, and then forwarded them back to Shanna. She also added in a note to have Shanna mail a Pentax camera she no longer used to Courtney, as a gift.

_That took longer than it should have. I wish I could do the edits myself. Still, I’m glad she’s there. I bet she’s getting buried in phone calls from clients. At least she doesn’t have to deal with reporters._

The nurse came in and checked her vitals. Victoria noticed that it was after 2 AM. She was feeling pretty tired, so she shut down her computer and went to sleep.


	26. Friends and others

Once again, she was woken up a few times during the night. She still felt pretty tired when Taylor and Courtney came in around ten. Taylor handed her a bag, which had a large burrito in it.

Taylor said, “Eat up! It’s a breakfast burrito from a local Mexican place. We had some earlier, and they’re really good!”

Courtney nodded, “Yeah, I think you’ll love it!”

Victoria started eating while her friends sat down. After taking a few bites, she smiled at her friends and said, “You were right. This is fantastic!”

She already had a cup of water at her tray, so she took a sip of it.

“I wish I could drink some coffee, but I’m not allowed. Something to do with the drugs.”

Her friends nodded. Courtney said, “We asked the nurse about that. She said definitely no. Sorry.”

Victoria shrugged, grimacing a tiny bit as pain shot through her ribs from the movement.

_I don’t think they noticed that. I hope not. I don’t want to worry them._

Taylor smiled and said, “By the way, thanks for the offer of a free camera, but I’m going to get one from Max. She’s been great the last few days, and I’d like to support her store.”

Courtney looked down, but then back up and smiled at Victoria. She said, “Yeah, thank you. I really couldn’t afford to buy one. It will be nice to actually get some pictures of my clothes using something other than my phone.”

Victoria paused eating, saying, “I’m really happy I can help you out. Honestly, I should have given you one years ago. I feel bad about not offering you one till now.”

_Yep. I’m filthy fucking rich, and I never even thought about giving you something that you obviously needed._

Courtney shook her head, “No, don’t feel bad. I never asked, and it’s not like you have to buy me stuff just because we’re friends. I do want to prove that I can make it on my own.”

“True, but LA is expensive. It won’t be easy, if you don’t have the right tools to do your work.”

Courtney shrugged, and then Taylor jumped in and said, “Anyway, it was really nice seeing how well you and Max are getting along. I know we teased you a bit, but maybe it will get you two to relax a little more.”

Courtney laughed, “You two sure do get embarrassed easily.”

“Very funny. I guess it did help break the ice yesterday, though. I really had fun just hanging out with everyone.”

_Too bad I’m stuck in this damn bed. Imagine if we could all get together and actually go somewhere? Maybe once I’m out of the hospital we can all do something._

Taylor said, “It’s too bad you couldn’t hang with all of us the last few days. You should hear some of the stories Kate has been telling. She says she writes and draws around five or six hours every day, and ends up only keeping a small amount of her work. She says she has boxes of stuff that she hasn’t used. She also teaches Sunday School at her local church. She’s really a nice person.”

_One I treated like shit._

Courtney agreed, saying, “She’s also helped all of us after your accident. We were all so worried when we first heard about it, and then we got here and you were in a coma. It was so scary.”

Taylor nodded. “I honestly didn’t know what to do. Kate sat with all of us and just asked us to tell our best memories about you. We all ended up crying like crazy.”

Courtney smiled, “Max and Kate may have heard a few embarrassing stories about you. One involved you passing out at a play, where you were supposed to be the star.”

Victoria frowned, “Rachel drugged me. Heck, she wasn’t even supposed to be in the play after she ran off with that girl.”

Taylor said, “That girl was Chloe Price.”

_Shit. It was? I didn’t even realize that._

“Did you tell that to Max?”

_Please say no! Please!_

Taylor shook her head no. “No way was I going to mention her name. Max was already worked up. I didn’t want to make it worse.”

Victoria relaxed. She then took a few minutes to finish her burrito. Once she finished, she gave the bag and wrapper to Taylor, who threw it away.

Courtney asked, “So, can we sign your cast? You know it’s a tradition!”

Taylor added, “Oh yeah! I have a marker. Give me a second to find it.”

She dug through her purse, and walked over.

“Just don’t write anything really embarrassing, please. My parents will see it.”

Taylor smiled, and took a minute to write a message. Once she stepped back, Victoria tilted her head up but couldn’t see what she wrote.

“Okay, what did you write?”

Taylor said, “It just says ‘Get better soon! This cast stops trucks!’”

Victoria giggled, “Of course it does.”

Courtney came over with a big grin on her face, and also took a minute to write. She put her message up where Victoria could read it. It said ‘Wishing you all the best! Friends4Life!’

Victoria smiled at her friends, and said, “Thanks, guys. You two being here really does mean a lot.”

Taylor and Courtney sat back down. They chatted for almost an hour before Victoria started getting really sleepy.

“Sorry, but I need to take a nap. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

Taylor said, “Yeah, it’s starting to show. I guess we’re going to head over to Max’s store.”

Courtney nodded, “We’ll let her know you’re doing well. Do you want us to tell her anything?”

“I’m just really glad I ran into her last week. Let her know she can stop in any time she wants.”

Her friends headed out, and a few minutes later, Victoria fell asleep.

*click* *click* *click*

_Huh? What’s that noise? Is someone taking pictures? What’s going on?_

Victoria woke up slowly, and saw a camera pointing at her, clicking away. Some guy in a cheap suit was taking pictures.

_What the fuck? Who the fuck is this?_

Alarmed, Victoria woke up and hit the button to raise her bed. The man lowered his camera and grabbed a small microphone.

He asked, “Ms. Chase? I’m from The National Gossip. Could you tell me how bad your injuries are? You look pretty bad. Were you at fault for the accident? Why were you driving in the rain like that? Did you stop in front of the truck on purpose?”

“What? Who are you? Why are you in my room? Some truck hit me. Why are you asking me these questions?”

The man said, “Half of your body is in a cast. Will you walk again? I see your arm is also in a cast. Will this affect your ability to take photographs?”

“I don’t know! Go away!”

He said, “Just answer a few questions, and I’m gone.”

“Get out of my room! Nurse!”

Victoria reached for the button that called the nurse. The man grabbed her hand, preventing her from reaching it.

He said, “Just tell me. Is the damage severe? How soon until we can see you back in action?”

Victoria yanked her hand out of his. Her ribs jabbed hot needles into her. She gasped, losing her breath.

He continued, “Damn, it looks severe. How bad are your injuries?”

“I’m really fucked up, you asshole! Can’t you see that? Get out of here!”

The door banged open and a nurse came in. The man quickly stepped back, then turned and pushed his way past the girl and left the room. She ran over to Victoria, and asked, “Are you okay? That man should not have been in here!”

“Get away from me! What the hell is going on?”

More people in hospital gowns came in. One got on the phone and called security.

Victoria noticed a loud beeping noise that kept getting faster and faster.

_Is that one of the monitors?_

As more nurses gathered around her, the edges of her vision went black, and then she passed out.


	27. 3 Men Walked Into A Room

Victoria woke up to the sound of some men talking. She turned her head and looked at them. One was Dr. Russo, another was a guy who looked like he was right out a television cop show, and the third was a short man in a really nice suit. He seemed familiar.

They turned towards her, and the doctor said, “Hello, Victoria. How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Also, my chest is sore.”

Dr. Russo nodded, “You strained your ribs, which were already broken, when you were reacting to that intruder and the nurses. Luckily, there was no real further damage. You’ll just have to be careful.”

“I guess I’m not surprised. What a creep.”

The man in the nice suit nodded at Victoria, “Hi. I’m glad you’re okay. My name is John Stambaugh. I’m an attorney for your father.”

_I knew I’d seen him before._

“Hi. I bet I know why you’re here.”

The other man stepped forward, saying, “I’m Detective Ron Miller, with the Portland PD. We’re already looking into this.”

John nodded, “Yes, that intruder should never have gotten into your room. I’ve already discussed this with the hospital administration, and they now have security at your door. You don’t have to worry about anyone else bothering you. Did that man hurt you in any way?”

“Not really. He did grab my wrist when I tried to press the button to get the nurses. I yanked my hand out of his and it really hurt my ribs when I did.”

Detective Miller scowled, “That’s assault. Did he reveal his identity?”

“He said he was with The National Gossip, but who knows if he really was? He was paparazzi, for sure. They lie all the time. I guess you could check with them and the other rags to see if he’s contacted them.”

Miller asked, “Did he say anything to you, or do anything physical, other than grabbing your hand?”

Victoria shivered. _I hope he didn’t feel me up or something while I was asleep._

“When I woke up, he was taking pictures of me.”

John muttered, “Shit.”

The other men looked concerned, and Detective Miller started writing notes in a pad.

Miller asked, “Were you still covered, or did he remove any of your clothing?”

“No! I was still mostly under my sheet, but it was really obvious I’m in these damn casts. I really hope he didn’t do anything weird while I was still asleep.”

All three of them nodded.

“Once he realized I was awake, he stopped photographing me and said he was from that paper. Then he started asking me about the wreck and if I was seriously injured.”

John asked, “What did you say?”

“Mostly I just yelled at him to get out of my room. I did say I was hit by the truck and that I was obviously really messed up, though. He kept asking so many questions in a row, and I wasn’t really awake, so I didn’t think to just not talk at all. I was really freaked out.”

John nodded, and said, “It’s not your fault. You should never have been in that position to begin with.”

He looked over at the doctor when he said it.

Dr. Russo nodded and turned to Victoria. He said, “I am really sorry that happened. I never expected anyone would try such a stunt. We will make sure it never happens again.”

_Too late, doc. I guess it’s not really your fault, though. It’s not like I asked for any protection or anything._

“That’s good. Please make sure my friends are all okay to visit, though! I don’t want any of them kept away.”

The doctor nodded, saying, “Yes, we’ll make sure they can all visit with you. The nurses here know all of them, so it shouldn’t be an issue.”

Detective Miller asked, “Victoria, do you remember what the man looked like?”

She described him as best she could.

The detective then turned to the doctor, and asked, “Do you have any camera footage I can review? Maybe we can get some clear shots of this guy’s face and ID him.”

Dr. Russo nodded, saying, “We should. Security was notified as soon as the incident occurred.”

The doctor and the detective said their goodbyes and left the room, off to check the cameras.

John sat down next to Victoria, and said, “Victoria, I hate to say this, but it’s going to get a little rough this next week. I suspect those pictures are going to get out.”

_Fuck! That can’t happen!_

“Isn’t there anything you can do? Maybe call the papers and threaten them with lawsuits if they publish?”

John shrugged, “We’ll certainly try, but you do realize that won’t stop these types of papers. They stand to make much more money than they will lose to us.”

“Everyone will see them. There’s no way I’m going to be able to continue working if this gets out.”

John nodded, “I understand that, but there’s only so much we can do. I’ll put as much pressure on them as I can, but I’m not sure it will work.”

_Everyone will know. I’m finished._

“What did my parents say?”

John smiled at her, “They will support you any way they can. Me being here is just the start. They just want you to get better.”

_Even if I fully recover, I’m just going to be that girl who was in a wreck, and “Did you see her in that hospital? How awful! How did she let anyone take her picture looking like that!”_

“You and I both know how this industry works. If those photos get published, I’m done. Damn it! I just wish it never happened!”

John grimaced, and said, “I realize that it seems really bad now, but once you’re back behind the camera, people will forget about this. You just need to do a couple good shoots and all will be forgiven.”

_That’s a big if. Who knows if I’ll ever be able to work again, anyway? Maybe this will actually make it easier in the long run. All of the gossip and bullshit will work its way out of everyone’s system while I’m still here, so by the time I’m free from this hospital, no one will even care if I’m crippled. At least I won’t have to explain myself then. Hell, why am I so upset about what those people think, if I’m probably never going to work with them ever again, anyway?_

“Okay. Please do your best. I think I need to be alone. Good luck.”

John nodded, and stood up. “I’ll try to stop this. If nothing else, I’m going to do my damndest to make sure that the guy who took your pictures ends up in prison.”

“Now _that_ I would be very happy about! Fuck him over.”

John said, “Don’t worry, he will regret ever bothering you. I’ll see myself out. I hope you get better soon, and fully recover.”

“Thanks. Me, too.”

John left, and Victoria lay there and just thought about what a disaster this was.

After an hour or so, the door opened and all of her friends entered the room. They all looked a little confused.

_Well, explaining this is going to be fun._


	28. Good Advice and Goodbyes

Courtney said, “Hey, Victoria! What’s going on? Are you okay?”

Max, Taylor, and Kate also looked at her, obviously worried. They stood by her bed, waiting for an answer.

“Some creep was taking pictures of me while I was sleeping. He’s probably going to sell them to a gossip rag.”

Max said, “Fuck!”

Courtney and Taylor said, “Oh, no!”

Kate closed her eyes and sighed.

Taylor said, “We came back last night, but no one was allowed into this hallway. There were cops checking everyone’s IDs. It was crazy.”

_Why am I sleeping so damn much? I had no idea it was the next day. Is that why the doctor knew my ribs weren’t hurt worse?_

“Wait, it’s morning? What about your store, Max?”

Max shrugged, “It’s okay. I put up a sign that I’m closed. I’m just glad you’re alright. He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

“Not really. It was just really scary seeing a camera in my face as I woke up. He asked me a ton of questions about the accident and my injuries. I’m still pretty freaked out about it.”

_Max looks seriously pissed. Heck, Kate looks as freaked out as me. I guess this is what Jefferson did to her. Now I know how it feels. Taylor and Courtney just look so worried. I feel bad._

Max said, “Did they catch the guy?”

“No, but they’re looking for him. A detective is checking the hospital cameras now. My father has a lawyer here, who’s trying to keep the photos from being published. We don’t have much hope for that, though.”

Courtney asked, “No one would seriously publish them, would they? They’d get sued!”

“They’ll make a ton of money and get free publicity if they publish them. Unless the police catch the guy really soon, I’m pretty much screwed.”

Taylor frowned, “This really sucks. It’s bad enough that you have to deal with your injuries. Now this asshole is going to make it worse.”

_I deserve it._

Taylor squinted at Victoria and said, “You’re making that face. You do not deserve this! Don’t you dare believe that!”

Courtney nodded, while Kate and Max looked at them, surprised.

Kate asked, “Victoria, you don’t blame yourself because of what happened to me, do you?”

Victoria turned her head away from her friends.

_Of course I do. Even though I know I shouldn’t, how can I not?_

Kate put her hand on Victoria’s shoulder, and said, “It’s not your fault. Don’t you dare blame yourself. There’s no point in me having forgiven you if you still do.”

Victoria sighed, and looked at her.

“I know. I even just told myself that, but I guess I don’t really believe it. I’m sorry.”

Kate closed her eyes, and then opened them and said, “Victoria. Don’t be the victim. You’re better than that. You are so talented and hard-working. You deserve every good thing that happens to you. Putting yourself down constantly just makes all of us tired of dealing with you. We know you’re better than that, but you can’t seem to get it through your head, even though we’ve all told you this dozens of times.”

Victoria and her friends all stopped and stared at Kate.

Max said, “Damn, Kate. I never expected that from you.”

Taylor nodded, saying, “Yeah, you’re tougher than I thought. Good for you!”

Courtney nodded at Kate, but looked at Victoria and said, “It’s true, Victoria. We all love you, but watching you act like this is so sad and depressing. We all really support you and you need to realize that. You will get better and life will go on. We’ll be here to help you.”

_Damn, I don’t deserve these people as friends. They’re right, though. I need to stop being such a whiny bitch. Hell, I’m acting just like the kind of people I can’t stand._

Victoria smiled at them, and said, “Thanks. Kate, I guess I really did need to hear that. I promise I’m going to stop acting like this. It’s not my fault some asshole thinks he can make money selling pictures of me. Heck, maybe I should beat him to the punch and sell some myself. That would be a great joke on him.”

Max said, “Don’t you dare!”

Taylor laughed, and said, “It’s okay, Max. This is just Victoria’s way of dealing with it. It looks like she’s going to be fine, now.”

_Damn straight! Why the hell was I so worked up over that clown?_

Courtney laughed, “Yeah, it seems we’ve gotten her angry enough to get over it. Good work, Kate!”

Kate shrugged, blushing, “I just said what I felt. I guess she needed some tough love.”

“Thanks, again, Kate. I do feel better now. Here’s hoping the police catch that jerk and throw him in jail for ten years.”

Her friends all smiled and agreed.

Max said, “I know I do work a lot, but if you ever need anything, or just really want company, call me. If it’s not too busy, I’ll be happy to close my shop and visit.”

_She’s so sweet._

“Thanks, Max. You can’t really afford to do that too often, though. I might actually do it.”

Max shrugged, “I’ll make do. You being safe is way more important than me being open for a day.”

Courtney said, “Aww. Look at the cute little lovebirds!”

Taylor and Kate laughed, while both Victoria’s and Max’s faces got red.

Max asked, “Seriously, guys?”

Taylor said, “You know it! Of course, you two will have lots of alone time now.”

Taylor and Courtney both looked at Victoria.

Taylor said, “I’m going to be flying home tonight. I’ve been away from my family for a week. I’m really happy you’re okay, but I need to get back to them.”

Courtney looked down, nodded, and said, “Me, too. I can’t afford to miss any more days, or I’ll be looking for a new job. I’m sorry, Victoria.”

“It’s okay. I’m so happy both of you came up here on such short notice. I really appreciate it. I’m going to miss all of us just being in the same room talking, though. I miss this.”

Taylor nodded, “Me, too. I mean, we still chat on the regular, but it’s different being here.”

Courtney said, “Yep! Oh, wait. Max and Kate, you need our chat room info. It will be great if you can join us sometimes.”

Max and Kate looked at Victoria and the others.

“You should get it. It’s a lot of fun. We just talk about our lives and stuff. Nothing too serious.”

Kate said, “Send the info to our phones. I’d love to join in, when I can.”

Max nodded, “Yeah, it sounds like fun. I’m going to miss hanging out with you two. We’ve done so much this week.”

_Really? Well, I guess I was probably sleeping through most of it. I’m glad they are all getting along. Imagine if they didn’t._

Taylor grinned, “Just don’t tell all of our secrets to Victoria.”

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

Everyone laughed at that. Her friends stayed for a few more hours. They talked about all kinds of stuff, ranging from Kate’s books to Courtney’s clothes to Max’s store and Taylor’s family. They did stay away from anything regarding the creepy camera guy, or Victoria’s injuries, which Victoria appreciated.

Finally, everyone got up to leave. Courtney and Taylor looked like they were going to cry, since they were heading back to their homes, and might not get back for months. Max gave Victoria a soft smile and squeezed her hand. Then they all wandered out.

_I want out of this damn hospital! How long until I can get out of these casts and start therapy?_

Victoria spent the rest of the day reading emails, doing a few edits that Shanna requested, and lurking her favorite photography forum, after making sure she was logged out. She didn’t want anyone knowing she was there, so they didn’t start asking her tons of questions she would just refuse to answer. She noticed several large threads about her accident. After reading only a few of the posts, she studiously avoided any other threads about it. Some people were very supportive, but there were a few trolls that she kind of wanted something horrible to happen to.

Other than eating some bland meals and having the nurses check up on her, the rest of the day was pretty tame. She did ask one of the nurses if the police had found anything, but they didn’t know.


	29. Phone calls

The next morning, after Victoria had breakfast, her phone rang. She picked it up, seeing that it was Shanna calling.

“Hi, Shanna. What’s up?”

“Hi, Vicky! I just wanted to let you know I forwarded the finals to PNW. Joe will never bother me ever again!”

Victoria laughed, “Good. I really appreciate you dealing with him. There’s nothing worse than a bad client.”

“You got that right! That being said, that was our last job on the books. I have already cancelled everything else, and forwarded a few jobs to some people I trust. Now I’m just hanging out at the office with nothing to do.”

“Write yourself a really good resume. You should try the Chase Space, if you’re interested. I’ll definitely recommend you. If there’s someone else you have in mind, let me know.”

“I’ll happily apply there! It would be interesting working at a gallery. I bet it’s a lot different than working for a field photographer.”

“Yeah, it is. You’ll also be able to make a lot of contacts, and don’t be afraid to submit your own work, once you’re ready. The worst they can do is say no.”

“I will! Thanks for this! I’ll send them my resume this afternoon. Anyway, are you feeling any better? You certainly sound better on the phone than when I was there a few days ago.”

“Yes, thanks. Of course, I’m going to be stuck in this damn bed for weeks. I want out of it so bad!”

“I’m cheering for you. Hell, if you do get back to work, keep me in mind. I’ll happily come back and work for you again.”

“You’ll be one of the first people I call. Thanks, Shanna. Good luck!”

“Bye, Vicky. Thanks for everything you’ve done for me!”

“Au revoir.”

Victoria hung up the phone.

_Damn, I’m going to miss working with her._

She dialed her father, who actually answered.

“Hello, father.”

“Victoria! I trust you’re doing well. I’m sorry to hear about that man who broke into your room.”

“I’m feeling a little better. That guy was a real scumbag. Thanks for sending down Mr. Stambaugh. He has already gotten the hospital straightened out.”

Her father laughed, “Yeah, John is good at that. Still, we’re going to make sure you don’t have to worry about anyone else bothering you.”

“Thanks. By the way, my assistant, Shanna Clark, is going to be sending you a resume. She is a really good worker and photographer. She’s done most of my paperwork for the last year. She finished up my last job today, and I don’t have any more work for her to do. She’s a fast learner. I told her to apply to the Chase Space. If you have any positions open, I think you’ll really like her.”

“I’ve dealt with her over the phone this last week. So has Mike Williams, the attorney I sent to your office to deal with journalists. He’s also said she’s a good worker; and a nice person in general. I’ll let my people know that’s she a good choice if they need someone.”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it. I hate that I’ve basically left her out to dry because of this accident.”

“Sometimes life happens that way. Luckily, you know some people who can help her out. I like that you are worried about your employee. You’ve really grown, Victoria.”

“You helped. I haven’t said this before, but thank you for coming down so hard on me at Blackwell, and forcing me to stop the drugs and partying.”

“I was worried about you. I’m glad you took my advice to heart. I know I haven’t said this often enough, but your mother and I are very proud of you. You are a remarkable young woman.”

_Okay, that was the first time ever that you’ve said that you were proud of me. I love it, though!_

Victoria sniffled, and said, “Thanks! I really needed to hear that. Well, I better be going. Bye!”

“Goodbye, Victoria. Be safe and hang in there. You’ll be back on the go in no time.”

Victoria hung up. She ended up just pulling the blanket over head and softly crying.

_I never thought that him saying that would mess me up this much. I tried so hard for so long, and this is what it takes for him to be proud of me. Damn. I’m such a wreck._

After ten minutes, she felt better, or at least good enough to come out from under the covers. She grabbed her laptop and logged into her favorite anime site. She started up episode one of My Blueberry Knight.

_Nothing like re-watching my favorite badass secret agent fighting the forces of evil! Time for a binge watch of all 48 episodes! Hell, I’m even going to watch the movie after that!_

Halfway through the fourth episode, she fell asleep.


	30. Cats and Bunnies

Victoria woke up some time later, and noticed Kate sitting by her bed. Kate was drawing in a sketch pad, and not really looking at her.

Victoria waited. After a few seconds, Kate glanced up at her, then stopped drawing and smiled. She said, “Good afternoon.”

“Hi. Drawing something interesting?”

Kate nodded; then turned the sketchbook so that Victoria could see it. It was a picture of a yellow cat in a hospital bed, with a rabbit sitting next to it. The style was cartoony, and looked like it came out of one of Kate’s published books.

“So, the cat and bunny are finally friends? That’s nice.”

Kate nodded, “If you don’t mind, I would like to use this for my next book. It will be about the two becoming friends, even after their previous history.”

In Kate’s first book, the cat had bullied the bunny. The bunny had stood up to the cat, and the two stopped fighting. Her next few books had the bunny as the hero, but the cat was always around, as either the antagonist or a haughty neighbor who helped the bunny in small ways.

“This would be a big change in their relationship. I like the idea. Feel free to use it.”

Kate grinned, “Thanks! I do feel kind of bad, using our experiences together for my books.”

“It’s alright. They’re good books. I know a lot of people love them.”

“So, you’ve read them? I didn’t really think you would.”

“I have a copy of all of them. I love how you write and draw. It’s kind of relaxing to read through them, even if I’m the villain.”

“Hey, you were only the villain in the first book! Well, you were also kind of a villain in the second one, but you’re not a bad cat in the other three.”

“Meow.”

Kate snorted, then covered her face and started laughing harder. After a few seconds, Victoria started giggling, but quickly stopped, as her ribs let her know it was a bad idea.

_Bad idea! Stupid broken ribs!_

Kate stopped laughing, and looked at Victoria, obviously concerned.

“It’s okay. My ribs hurt a little when I laughed.”

“Sorry. I guess I won’t be telling you any jokes today.”

“Thanks. Yours would probably be funny, at least.”

“Compared to Max’s puns? I’d hope so.”

“Yeah, where the heck does she get them? And she uses them all of the time. It’s actually fun just waiting for her to make one up.”

Kate nodded, saying, “Yeah, it can be. Sometimes, she has some great ones. A lot of times, I just tell her she should try dad jokes.”

Victoria laughed again, for just a second. Then she held her ribs, and blew some air out to help ease the pain.

“Sorry! I didn’t really think that would make you laugh.”

After a few seconds, Victoria nodded. “It’s okay. I think I’m going to use that on her sometime. They can’t be any worse.”

They chatted for a few minutes about Kate’s life, when Kate said, “You had mentioned before that you had some kind of experience while you were in a coma?”

_You could say that. I still wonder if I should have just stayed there._

“Yeah. I’m not sure if it was just a dream, or if I really met some kind of angel or something.”

“Really? Could you tell me about it? I mean, if you want to. I’m really curious.”

“Well, I had a really nice home with Max. We were apparently together in some way. Max made me the best brownies in the universe. Then we kissed.”

“You kissed? Really?”

“Yep! We even went upstairs to our king-sized bed. Of course, I realized something was wrong. Max noticed it, and told me that living with her in our dream home was my reward for living a good life. I objected, because I insisted that I was a terrible person, but Max said I wasn’t. She also said that eventually I’d meet all of my friends and family, if I decided to stay with her.”

“Wow. So you were like married to Max, or at least an angel that looked like her, as a reward? Your own personal heaven or something?”

“I mean, I guess we were. At the very least, we were living together and sex was definitely an option.”

“Huh. Well, that makes me want to rethink a few things.”

“Hey, it doesn’t mean your faith is wrong. Maybe heaven is just not the way you think it is.”

Kate nodded, “True. It just kind of goes against a lot of what I’ve been taught.”

“Maybe I just got the extra-special lesbian heaven.”

Kate paused, and then just started laughing for a minute. When she finally stopped, she said, “Who knows? Maybe you did. It does give me hope that people my mother would consider bound for hell actually aren’t. That makes me very happy.”

“Kate, your faith is great. You do a lot of good in this world because of it. Don’t you dare start thinking that it’s wrong.”

Kate shook her head, and said, “Oh, don’t worry about that! I believe Jesus would forgive all of us, if we just ask. I’m just really happy that you have a guardian angel of some kind, and that means I might, too.”

“If anyone has one, it’s you.”

“Very funny. I’m not as pure as you think. I’ve had a serious relationship, which went farther than my family or old pastor would approve of. It didn’t work out, but I’m not the girl I was at Blackwell.”

“None of us are, luckily.”

Kate nodded.

Victoria asked, “So, I guess it’s just you today?”

“Max was really busy at her store. Some guy brought in a bunch of rolls of film he needed developed and transferred to discs. She’s going to be working late.”

“That’s good, at least for her business. I’m still surprised so many people are using film cameras.”

Kate shrugged, obviously not in the know. She then said, “I’m going to be heading home tomorrow, so I wanted to see you today. I’m glad we got to talk, despite the circumstances. I’ll be praying for you every day. Just make sure you do all of your therapy and I’m sure things will work out.”

_I really hope you’re right._

“It was good seeing you again. We kind of fell out of touch after Blackwell. I am happy you’ve done so well for yourself. I hope to see you again once I’m out of this place.”

Kate nodded, “Me, too. I hate to say it, but I’m not a fan of hospitals, at all. They kind of creep me out.”

_You should try being stuck in one for weeks._

“Me, too. If I never have to go to another one, I’ll be very happy.”

Kate stood up. “Hey, once I finish this book, I’ll send you an autographed copy. I wish I’d known you were buying them. I can always sign your others, if you want.”

“Thanks! That would be cool. I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Well, I’ll be going. Fair well, Victoria. I truly hope you’ll be back to one hundred percent when this is over.”

“Thanks. Take care.”

Kate left. After a few minutes, Victoria loaded up episode four of My Blueberry Knight. She ended up watching seven more episodes before she closed her laptop for some more sleep.


	31. Lasagna, Max, and a phone call

Victoria spent most of the next day watching anime and reading the photography forum. She actually felt pretty awake.

_Maybe I’m getting better. At least I’m not constantly tired today._

Towards evening, Max came in to visit. She smiled at Victoria as she got close, waving a bag at her.

Max said, “I brought you some lasagna from Tony’s”.

“Really? You’re my hero!” 

Max laughed and opened up the bag, setting out a covered dish and some plastic ware on Victoria’s tray. She took off the lid, revealing a large slab of lasagna. The room instantly started smelling better. Victoria had a huge grin as she looked up at Max and said, “Thank you! I really needed this!”

Max smiled back at her. As Victoria started to eat, she grabbed her cup and went into the bathroom, filled it with water, and brought it back. After placing it by Victoria’s dish, she sat down.

_This is so good! Damn, I should just order food every day from now on. I wonder if the hospital would let me?_

They chatted for ten minutes, as Victoria ate. They mainly just talked about Max’s store, and how it was doing. Victoria set her fork down eventually, with almost half of the lasagna still there.

“There’s way too much food here. I can’t eat any more. You can eat the rest, if you want.”

Max looked at her, asking, “Are you sure? You can save it for tomorrow.”

“No refrigerator. Please, eat some.”

“Well, I won’t pasta that up!”

Victoria just looked at her, but Max laughed and grabbed the fork and dish, and started eating.

“I guess Kate left today. She stopped in yesterday and said hello.”

Max nodded, “Yeah, I dropped her off at the airport a couple hours ago. It’s too bad she couldn’t stay longer. I really miss hanging out with her.”

“In a perfect world, we’d all be neighbors”

“Yeah, that would be cool. Too bad real life gets in the way.”

“Well, even if we were neighbors, I was on the road so much that I wouldn’t have seen any of you except maybe every two weeks or so.”

“Wowzers! That’s too much travel, Victoria. You need to have some time at home, just to recuperate.”

“You know how the photography world is. If I didn’t travel like that, I’d end up being some no-name wedding photographer. That’s not me. I refuse to settle for that.”

“Victoria, with your family connections, you were never going to just be a wedding photographer.”

“I was trying to make it on my own. While I know I had some big advantages because of my parents, I still wanted to prove that I didn’t need them. Besides, if I took the easy way out, I’d have just ended up being a curator at the Chase Space. While I know how to do that, I am not willing to spend my life kissing up to rich investors and being dependent upon my parents.”

Max shrugged, “I understand that, but if you really think about it, at some point you will be taking over the Chase Space. I mean, I assume your parents are going to leave it to you.”

“Probably, but I wanted my own life before I got stuck running that place. Then again, considering what’s left of me now, I will probably be working there a lot sooner than I wanted to.”

_Hell, I’m not sure I’m even going to be able to do that. I won’t impress anyone if I can’t walk the gallery with them._

“Victoria. Don’t be down on yourself. You’re a tough girl, and I know you’ll do the therapy. You’ll get through this.”

“I guess. I really haven’t thought about the Chase Space much. I have to wonder what my parents think, because knowing them; they’ve already talked about it.”

“From the conversations I’ve had with them, they are more worried about you than their art gallery.”

“That’s nice to hear. Ah, well. I can’t think about it too much now.”

“Even if they do get weird, you still have me and the others. We’ll help you out.”

“Thanks.”

Victoria sat quietly, letting Max eat the lasagna. Finishing up, Max took the bag and dishes and threw them in the trash. After that, she sat back down.

Victoria sighed, and then looked at Max. “I’m really happy you’re here. I mean, it’s absolutely amazing to me that you are taking the time to visit, considering that we really just met again last week.”

Max smiled, “Well, we have actually gone on a date. I don’t want to just run away because of the car accident.”

“Really, Max? I mean, look at me. I’m a total mess right now. You don’t have to feel tied down just because we went out to eat. I mean, don’t think I’m telling you to go away! I do really like you. I just don’t want you to feel forced to be here.”

Max scowled, replying, “Stop being so negative. Seriously, Victoria, if I wanted to ghost you, I wouldn’t be here right now. I do like you, and I want you to get better, so we can go on some more dates and get to really know each other. I’m not forced to be here! I want to be here.”

Victoria paused, “I’m sorry. I’ve been around so many people that would have run that it just freaks me out that you didn’t. I guess I’m just not used to it.”

“If you didn’t notice, Taylor, Courtney, and Kate also came to visit you, along with your family. I know the people you deal with at your job are flaky, but we aren’t. We won’t abandon you just because you were hurt. If anything, we are all a lot more determined to help you.”

“Thanks. I guess I was worried for no reason. Too much time sitting here, with nowhere to go.”

“That’s okay. I understand how it feels. Luckily, I had a therapist help me work my way through it. Maybe you should talk to one.”

“I guess. I mean, it certainly wouldn’t hurt.”

Max nodded, saying, “I’ll talk to my old therapist in Seattle, and see if she can recommend anyone down here. Or, if you go back to Seattle, you could see her. She’s very good.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’m really glad you visited today. At least we can talk without everyone else making fun of us.”

Max smiled, “True. Courtney was ruthless. I think she was just trying to see which one of us would blush the most.”

“You’re right. Then again, Taylor and I have done that to her when it comes to the boys she meets.”

Max laughed.

Victoria’s phone started buzzing. She glanced at it, and Max nodded. She looked at the Caller ID. It was John Stambaugh.

“I should probably answer this. It’s my dad’s lawyer.”

Max nodded again, so Victoria hit the green button.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Victoria. This is John Stambaugh. I’m calling to inform you that The National Gossip printed the pictures, along with an article about your accident.”

“Fuck.”

“We have a prepared statement that we’re going to release. Do not talk about this to anyone. Don’t even mention it online, if you are on social media; or with your friends, if you can avoid it. I also strongly recommend that you do not look up the pictures yourself.”

“Crap. I guess it was bound to happen, but this sucks.”

“I know. I’m sorry. We tried to stop the magazine, but their attorneys were ready, and so we will have to go to court. I think the best thing you can do is just stay away from any gossip websites, and keep a low profile. Articles like this will make a big splash for a week or two, but then everyone will move on to something else. As long as we don’t fan the flames by doing something stupid in public, it will die down.”

“It will be out there, forever.”

“True, but after a while, people will forget. Just remember that and don’t do anything drastic.”

“I won’t. Thank you.”

“Be safe, Victoria. Goodbye.”

“Bye.”

Victoria hung up, and looked at Max, a lost expression on her face.

Max asked, “Victoria. What is it?”

“Those photos that creep took of me while I was asleep got published.”

“Damn it! What the hell is wrong with people?”

“Max, these are the same type of people I work with every day. They’re mostly horrible.”

“Fuck. I’m really sorry, Victoria.”

“It will be okay. I just have to stay here and avoid doing anything really stupid online, and it will blow over.”

_Yeah, right. The first time I step foot outside of this hospital, I’m going to get mobbed by paparazzi._

“You know it doesn’t work that way.”

“Shit, yes, I know! I’m just trying to not fall apart here. Max, I’m sorry, but I need to be alone right now.”

Max stood up, obviously worried and maybe just a tiny bit angry. “Alright, I’ll head out. Just don’t do anything crazy. You have a lot of people who really care about you.”

Victoria smiled at her, “Thanks for understanding. I’ll see you next time.”

Max smiled, and said, “You bet you will! Good night, Victoria.”

After Max left, Victoria lay in her bed for hours, trying to sleep. All she could think about was all of the elites she used to run around with and how they’d view this whole incident. If the wreck wasn’t bad enough, the gossip article was the nail in the coffin of her career.

_Why the fuck did this have to happen?_

**Author's Note:**

> Pacific Northwest is a fictional magazine that covers WA, OR, ID, and northern CA. No relation to the Seattle Times real Pacific NW is implied.  
> Just realized this would be set in 2020. So it's an alternate history: no Covid, riots, etc.  
> 


End file.
